China this week criticized the U.S. Treasury Department's recent sanctions on seven Chinese entities and six individuals for supplying Mexican drug cartels with equipment used to make illegal drugs, including fentanyl (see 2305300017). According to an unofficial translation, the Ministry of Commerce said China has always strictly enforced drug control and has worked with the U.S. to "solve the fentanyl issue." The sanctions are an "attempt to confuse" and "mislead the public," the ministry said, adding that it will work to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.
The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance June 11 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time and June 25 4 a.m. to 12 p.m., it said June 5. Singapore Customs advises users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to the usual 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday maintenance.
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently published reports on the benefits for U.S. exporters of beef, pork and cheese to Japan as the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement enters year five. The reports outline the Japanese tariff rates that apply to each product over the next several years, along with how the commodities fared last year.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the pan-Pacific trade pact, officially took effect for the Philippines on June 2, making it the 15th country to become part of the deal. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce official said the full entry into force of RCEP shows that the 15 countries have taken steps to support a free, fair and rules-based multilateral trading system, according to an unofficial translation.
India is making officers at regional branches of its Directorate General of Foreign Trade available for virtual meetings, with a goal of trade facilitation and extending "proactive hand-holding and support to the exporting community," the DGFT announced May 31. Exporters can apply for videoconferencing on the DGFT website starting June 1.
Singapore Customs will update its Networked Trade Platform on a rolling basis starting July 1. On this date, the customs administration also will revise its fee schedule, removing all NTP account fees. Traders now will pay for only specific services, such as the application fee of $4 per candidate for Certificate of Non-Manipulation. A $40 per month fee will continue to be charged for firms using the NTP to send and receive files from other businesses, Singapore Customs said.
India made a series of changes to its ITC (HS) 2022 schedule to align with changes made in the Finance Act 2023 and Foreign Trade Policy 2023, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced. In a separate notice, the DGFT amended the export policy for rice (basmati and non-basmati) for goods to certain European countries to say that the Certificate of Inspection from the Export Inspection Council or Export Inspection Agency will not be mandatory for six months.
Japan last week announced new sanctions and export controls against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, designating more than 80 people and entities and introducing new restrictions on certain exports and services to Russia. The financial sanctions apply to parties “directly involved” in Russia’s actions in Crimea, Sevastopol and other regions of Ukraine, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, and the export controls apply to 80 sanctioned entities and items that could “contribute to the enhancement of Russian industrial capacities.” Japan also imposed a prohibition on providing architectural and engineering services to Russia.
Japan and the United Arab Emirates last week signed a defense equipment and technology transfer agreement, which is aimed at strengthening the countries’ cooperation in defense trade and research. The deal also “establishes a legal framework for the handling of defense equipment and technology transferred between the two countries,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s minister of foreign affairs, according to an unofficial translation of a May 26 press conference transcript. Hayashi said the agreement also will ensure the ”proper management” of defense items transferred to third countries “and their use for purposes other than those intended.” The deal, which is the first defense technology sharing agreement between Japan and a country in the Middle East, will take effect “after the necessary procedures have been completed between the governments of both countries.”
Bangladesh this month eliminated a fumigation requirement for imports of U.S. cotton, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a May 23 report. Certain U.S. cotton no longer needs to undergo “fumigation on-arrival” as long as the shipment has a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.