China and the European Union are making progress during their investment negotiations and hope to wrap up a comprehensive investment agreement “as early as possible within the year,” according to an unofficial translation of a May 11 notice from China’s Commerce Ministry. Previous reports indicated the talks might last through 2021, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, particularly because of EU concerns that China’s investment market is “considerably less open than the EU’s” and investment in a “number of sectors is restricted or prohibited.” China said it is “willing to accelerate investment agreement negotiations” to “jointly boost confidence” between the two countries and increase cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. planned to lobby the EU to increase scrutiny of foreign investment involving sensitive technologies, including investment from China (see 2002260042).

Japan revised its foreign user list, which contains foreign entities that may be involved in weapons proliferation or other illegal activities, according to an unofficial translation of a May 8 notice. Japanese exporters must apply for an export license when shipping goods to entities on the list “unless it is clear that the cargo will not be used for the development of weapons of mass destruction, etc.,” Japan said.

Vietnam recently withdrew export restrictions on medical masks, according to a May 8 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Previously, exports of medical masks required a license and total exports were capped at “25% of an individual domestic manufacturer’s output capacity,” the report said. The restrictions were imposed to maintain domestic supply amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which Vietnam has now “largely contained,” the report said.

Singapore recently revised its procedures for U.S. beef and offal suppliers to export to Singapore, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released May 5. The revisions, which were intended to “streamline trade” and protect domestic food security, USDA said that the Singapore Food Agency reported, will allow U.S. suppliers to skip the registration and approval process with the SFA if they already participate in Singapore’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s export verification program. Previously, exporters were required to go through an “onerous registration and approval process for each product,” the report said.

Thailand’s ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos will take effect June 1, restricting imports of food products containing either of those chemicals, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released May 4. The USDA said it expects a “zero-tolerance” approach by Thailand toward goods with residues of those chemicals, adding that shipments of U.S. bulk commodities, specifically soybeans and wheat, will be impacted.

Myanmar recently announced an aid package to help industry mitigate the impacts of the COVID-10 pandemic, according to a May 7 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The measures include a waiver for a 2% withholding tax on exports, a reduced “Specific Goods Tax” on medical supplies and the elimination of customs duties on medical imports. The country is also allocating $100 billion for trade financing for domestically produced goods and will prioritize “mobile payment platforms” to encourage online trade.

China’s trade sector continues to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic despite certain logistics sectors returning to normal (see 2003170043), China’s Ministry of Commerce said May 7. “Although the decline in foreign trade data narrowed in April, the development of foreign trade still faces greater downward pressure,” a ministry spokesperson said during a press conference, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript. The spokesperson called China’s trade atmosphere “very grim and complicated.”

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced export restrictions on alcohol-based hand sanitizers, according to a May 6 notice. The measure restricts “only” alcohol-based sanitizers that fall under four Harmonized System codes referenced in the notice, adding that all other items under those HS codes are “freely exportable.” India previously restricted exports of certain types of sanitizer (see 2003240045).

India will temporarily accept scanned copies of pre-shipment inspection certificates for customs clearances instead of physical copies, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a May 6 notice from the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The measure, which will last through June 30, was introduced because “importers have been finding it difficult to submit the original copy” due to the “lock down,” the directorate said. Although importers can submit a scanned version of the document, they must submit a physical copy within 60 days of the goods clearing customs and submit a declaration certifying that the document contains correct information.

Singapore Customs amended the list of chemicals in its Chemical Weapons Act, according to a May 6 notice, Companies seeking to “carry out controlled activities” involving the newly restricted chemicals must obtain a Chemical Weapons Convention license, Singapore said. The notice includes a list of added chemicals and their Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry numbers.