China’s Foreign Ministry criticized a U.S. bill passed by the House Jan. 28 that would sanction Chinese officials for government interference in certain Tibetan affairs, calling the bill a breach of international norms. During a Jan. 29 press conference, a ministry spokesperson said China is “firmly opposed to” the bill and urged the U.S. to “correct its mistake,” according to a transcript in English released by the Chinese Embassy in Washington. The bill, which modifies the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, would require the U.S. to sanction Chinese officials who interfere in the succession of the Dalai Lama, an effort that the bill calls a “serious human rights abuse.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service released a report on U.S. exports to Taiwan that were rejected or destroyed during 2019, including the findings in each case and the types of goods most susceptible to rejections. Taiwan rejected or destroyed 53 agricultural imports from the U.S. that were deemed non-compliant with Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration food safety standards, with chemical residue on imports accounting for 34 of the rejections. Vietnam detected the chemical residue “fluopyram” on 11 shipments, including blueberries, broccoli, onion, lettuce and fruit powder. The second-largest source of violations was food additives, with 11 rejections, USDA said.

Small and medium-sized companies can apply to attend one of the Australian government's free training seminars on U.S. export controls during March in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, Australia said Jan. 23. The two-day seminars will provide companies with “practical expertise of current best practice” for dealing with technologies controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations, it said. The seminars are open to manufacturers and companies involved in research and development with “immediate intent or actively involved with US technologies subject to these regulations.”

India plans to increase import duties on about $56 billion worth of goods, including a range of electronics, electrical goods, chemicals and handicrafts, according to a Jan. 24 report from Reuters. The announcement could be made by India’s finance minister during the presentation of the annual budget on Feb. 1, the report said. Higher duties are likely to target 50 items, including mobile phone chargers, industrial chemicals, lamps, wooden furniture, candles and jewelry, Reuters said. Import tariffs could increase by 5 percent to 10 percent, and could directly impact smartphone manufacturers and other retailers, the report said.

China’s customs agencies have been ordered to increase port restrictions but to streamline certain disease-fighting imports as the country battles the spread of the coronavirus, according to an unofficial translation of a Jan. 27 notice from China’s General Administration of Customs. Customs officials have been told to “strengthen the control” of their ports but set up “special acceptance windows” and “rapid inspection and release” for certain imports, including “imported epidemic prevention and control materials.” Certain imported items, including goods donated to fight pneumonia caused by the virus, will get a “fast-track clearance” at customs gates and ports, according to a Jan. 26 report from Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. Other items benefiting from “fast clearance” include imported medicines, disinfectant products, protective equipment and medical devices, Xinhua said.

China recently removed tax-free quotas for imports of “key technology equipment,” according to a Jan. 24 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Under the changes, issued Jan. 13, certain “crucial components and raw materials” for imports used by qualified Chinese companies whose development is supported by the government will be exempt from import duty and import VAT, the report said. The exemptions will also apply to imports of crucial components and raw materials needed by “nuclear power project managers,” HKTDC said.

Thailand issued a draft of proposed value-added tax regulations that would impact foreign e-commerce operators and “electronic platforms” in the Thai market, according to a Jan. 23 KPMG post. The regulations clarify the term for “goods” would exclude any “intangible assets” transferred over a network, and specify definitions for “electronic services” and “electronic platforms.” The regulations would also make changes to the country’s “self-assessed VAT regime” and introduce an electronic VAT registration system.

Not only are the purchase requirements in the new China trade deal unrealistic, other developments in China's economy and the trading relationship make them even further out of reach, according to an analysis by economist Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Bown notes that the rate of growth needed to meet the targets is higher than when China's economy was growing at 10 percent a year, and China's economy is growing more slowly now. Additionally, the tariffs on Chinese goods that remain in place after phase one are a further drag on the economy.

Vietnam is planning to reform its inspection procedures for certain imports and exports in what will be a “key project” in the first months of 2020, according to a Jan. 14 report from Customs News, the mouthpiece for Vietnam Customs. The effort aims to “strongly reform customs procedures in digitization … in accordance with international standards,” the report said. The agency hopes to “substantively” improve the quality of its inspections while reducing costs assessed to traders. Vietnam’s current customs inspection process “faces shortcomings that raise administrative procedures, costs and time for traders,” the report said, and Vietnam hopes the effort helps “clarify” the responsibilities of “state agencies and organizations” in charge of customs inspections.

China held its first round of trade negotiations with Cambodia in Beijing, Jan. 20-21, China’s commerce ministry said Jan. 21, according to an unofficial translation. The two countries discussed trade in goods, rules of origin, improving customs procedures, reducing “technical barriers” to trade and improving phytosanitary measures. The two sides recently completed a “joint feasibility study” for the free trade negotiation, China said.