China's General Administration of Customs abolished its special customs clearance procedures for imported donated materials to combat COVID-19, it said in a July 15 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The goods will revert to being processed according to "current relevant regulations."

Japan Customs published an updated list July 15 of the issuing authorities for exports' certificate of origin under the Generalized System of Preferences for North Macedonia and Afghanistan. The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia may certify a product's origin for North Macedonia, and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment may do the same for Afghanistan. Japan's GSP applies reduced tariffs for imports from developing countries.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry picked 151 projects that qualify under the Program for Promoting Investment in Japan to Strengthen Supply Chains. The program, a July 2 news release said, will provide support for businesses in their plans to build new plants and create new facilities involved in the supply chains of crucial goods as identified by Japan. The program received an initial 280 applications. These projects in total will receive around 209.5 billion yen.

The Philippines recently announced plans to ban most trans fatty-acids by 2023, including TFAs in imported food products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a July 9 report. The order, which took effect July 6, provides a policy framework to eliminate “industrially-produced” TFAs in the country’s food supply within the next two years and reduce TFA intake “to less than 1% of the recommended total energy intake.” Under the order, the Philippines will ban the production, import and commercial distribution of industrially produced TFAs and processed food products containing TFAs, USDA said.

China's General Administration of Customs will allow the import of poultry meat from Slovenia and dried chili peppers from Rwanda, the agency said in two press releases, according to unofficial translations. The goods will now be subject to special inspection and quarantine requirements upon entering China, which include passing China's national food safety standards.

Although the Myanmar military coup has destabilized the country and damaged the economy (see 2103090005), imports are being cleared and trade is “continuing in some fashion or another,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a July 8 report. U.S. agricultural shipments are entering the country “normally,” although a lack of shipping lines has led to a container shortage. USDA also said the “current unstable security situation,” banking disruptions and a third COVID-19 wave are “but a few of the ongoing obstacles that impedes economic stability.”

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade will allow exports of eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregates and river sand to the Maldives under a bilateral trade agreement between the two nations, the DGFT said in a July 12 notification. The agreement extends from 2021 through 2024 and allows for certain quantities for each fiscal year of the period outlined in the notification. Exports of these goods will be exempted from any future restrictions.

South Korea recently announced another 36,000 metric ton temporary tariff rate quota for eggs and egg products until Dec. 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a July 8 report. The TRQ will help the country maintain “increased levels of egg imports” to stabilize domestic egg prices, USDA said. The agency said South Korea will likely continue to have “strong demand” for imported U.S. eggs through at least August.

India's Directorate General of Trade said in a July 8 notice that it may need to temporarily place on hold benefits or scrips under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, Service Exports from India Scheme, Rebate of State Levies, and Rebate of State and Central Taxes Levies and schemes due to changes in the allocation procedure. During this time, no new applications would be allowed to be submitted on the DGFT's online IT module for these schemes.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade extended until July 31 the period during which interested parties can modify their Importer-Exporter Code for 2021-22, it said in a July 1 notice. Typically, IEC holders are tasked with ensuring the details of their IEC is updated electronically every year during an April-June period. No fees on modifications will be charged until after July 31, the notice said. If no changes are made, the details still need to be confirmed online.