Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in a Jan. 31 notice extended the taxable period of antidumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate with a high degree of polymerization from China for another five years, until Feb. 2, 2028. The 39.8% to 53% duties were initially imposed for the Dec. 28, 2017, to Dec. 27, 2022, period.

China signed an authorized economic operator mutual recognition agreement with the Philippines earlier this month, according to a report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It’s the first such agreement for the Philippines. “Goods exported by AEO enterprises in both countries will enjoy lower inspection rates and other trade facilitation measures under the arrangement,” the report said.

A recent raft of import restrictions by the Sri Lankan government should have a “limited impact” on U.S. agricultural exporters in terms of trade value, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The restrictions apply to various “non-essential items,” USDA said, including food and agricultural products such as milk, chocolate, tree nuts and certain “food preparations.” The report includes a table of affected items along with their Harmonized System codes.

The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, it said Jan. 20. 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.

Indonesia recently introduced new rules aimed at streamlining its customs procedures for exports, including a “simplified mechanism” for submitting export notifications, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 13. The rules, which took effect Jan. 1, also aim to simplify procedures surrounding “export consolidation; freight companies’ obligations; goods loading and transportation; as well as mechanisms for goods tracking and inspection,” HKTDC said. Indonesia expects the measures to aid the country’s logistics system and harmonize the flow of goods and international documents.

India recently began an antidumping investigation on certain printed circuit boards from China and Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 18. India initiated the probe at the request of the Indian Printed Circuit Association, which said the imports “have caused material injury to the local industry,” the report said. The current investigation covers items imported July 2021 through June 2022, while the injury investigation covers April 2018 through June 2022.

Future U.S. presidential candidates should put forth an aggressive agenda to tackle China trade issues, including stronger export controls, experts with the American Enterprise Institute said in a blog post this month. The post, by AEI senior fellows Derek Scissors, Zack Cooper and Dan Blumenthal, includes a range of suggestions for presidential candidates to form a “comprehensive policy on how to approach the economic, military, and political threats that China poses.”

China prohibited the direct or indirect import of equine animals and related products from Nigeria in response to an outbreak of African horse sickness in the West African nation, China's General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. In December, Nigeria told the World Organization for Animal Health of an outbreak of African horse sickness involving 44 horses, six of which died. In addition to barring the import of equine animals, China's response includes returning or destroying all shipments of equine animals from Nigeria shipped after the publication of its restrictions; decontaminating all animal and plant waste unloaded from Nigeria's entry vessels; and destroying equine animals and related products from Nigeria intercepted by border inspection and other departments.

At the end of a White House visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, the two countries issued a joint statement that primarily focused on security issues but touched on trade. "We will build resilience in our societies and supply chains among like-minded partners against threats such as economic coercion, non-market policies and practices and natural disasters, accelerate global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, and advance data free flow with trust," they said. "The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is at the center of achieving these goals."

China recently instituted measures to prevent the spread of cholera since there was a high number of cases and related deaths in 2022, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. China said aircraft, ships, containers and goods from certain countries contaminated, or suspected of being contaminated, by cholera bacteria should undergo sanitation treatment pursuant to China's already laid-out procedures. The countries include Nigeria, Cameroon, Malaysia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Haiti, Syria, Lebanon, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, among others. These practices will be in effect for six months from Jan. 10.