China sanctioned a Belgian politician for writing a resolution calling for the Belgian government to acknowledge the human rights abuses being committed against the Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang province. Samuel Cogolati, member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, has been sanctioned for “maliciously spread[ing] lies and misinformation and gravely [undermining] China's sovereignty and interests,” a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a June 16 news conference, according to a translated transcript. The Belgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee approved the resolution June 15.

Japan imposed a final antidumping duty rate of 30.8% on dipotassium carbonate imports from South Korea, Japan's Ministry of Finance said in a June 18 news release. It takes effect June 24 and will remain effective through June 23, 2025. The rate continues the provisional rate that has been in force since March 25, the release said.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade moved its export policy for COVID-19 treatment drug remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredient from “prohibited” to “restricted” in a June 14 notification. The export of the drug or its API against the drug's advance authorizations will no longer need a separate authorization, the release said.

Bangladesh will soon issue a “wide range” of value-added tax exemptions on locally manufactured products and cut advance taxes on imported raw materials to boost the domestic industry and aid local exporters, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported June 15. The exemptions and cuts, effective July 1, will apply to manufactured household appliances, computing products and more. Advance taxes will drop from 4% to 3% for imported raw materials used in certain domestic industries, HKTDC said.

Australia is seeking industry feedback on the impact of its free trade agreement with Malaysia to assess how the deal is benefiting traders. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said June 16 it is hoping to understand how accessing the Malaysian market has changed for Australian exporters since the pact took effect in 2013, and whether any factors “have affected your industry's ability to expand exports.” The country is also seeking information on “unintended impacts” and any remaining trade barriers in Malaysia that should be addressed. Comments are due by Sept. 30.

China passed a law implementing new tools to fight foreign sanctions, the National People's Congress said in a June 11 news release. The law includes three countermeasures to foreign sanctions: banning entry to China and deportation, seizing property in China and barring transactions between a listed individual or entity and organizations or individuals in China. The Chinese government may take “other necessary measures” to counter sanctions, it said. The law is meant to “counter, fight and oppose unilateral sanctions on China imposed by foreign countries, safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and organizations,” the release said.

The European Parliament is calling for greater sanctions on Belarus following the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and subsequent arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega. While 88 individuals, including the current president, and seven entities are listed under the EU's Belarus sanctions regime, the EU called for a “fourth package” with sectoral sanctions including a “ban on imports of oil products, potash fertilisers, metal products and wood and wood products,” a June 10 resolution said. The Parliament also underscored the need to sanction all relevant state-run enterprises helping the Belarusian regime through foreign exchange revenue and to ramp up efforts to combat Belarusian cigarette smuggling, which is a large source of revenue for the current regime, the resolution said.

The European Commission implemented provisional antidumping duties on imports of mono ethylene glycol from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, according to a June 11 notification. The duties range from 8.5% to 52%, with the U.S. companies receiving the higher antidumping rates. The following is a list of the companies, their provisional dumping duties, country of origin and TARIC code.

An investigation will be conducted into the alleged dumping of hot-dipped galvanized steel wire from China and South Korea into the Japanese market, the nation's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced in a June 14 news release. Following a petition from Nichia Steel Works, NS Hokkai Seisen Co., Galvart Japan Co. and Wire Techno, the ministries determined an investigation was warranted, and will conclude it within a year of the announcement. The two ministries will conduct the investigation.

The commerce secretaries of the U.S. and China agreed to promote trade and investment ties during a phone call June 10, China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement. Both Gina Raimondo and Wang Wentao, respectively, “exchanged views frankly and pragmatically on relevant issues and mutual concerns,” the ministry said, according to an unofficial translation. “The two sides stated that dialogue and exchanges in the field of Sino-U.S. business are very important and agreed to promote the healthy development of pragmatic cooperation in trade and investment and properly handle differences.”