China will allow imports of cattle from Laos, the country’s General Administration of Customs said in a Feb. 10 notice, according to an unofficial translation. In particular, farmers in Laos will now be able to export cattle under 4 years old to be slaughtered for human consumption within seven days of entering China, and slaughtered cattle for beef is also allowed. The notice includes quarantine and sanitation requirements for the imports.
Singapore Customs published a notification of tariff rate changes to gasoline on Feb. 16. Rates for various forms of gasoline rise from $6.40 to $7.90, or from $5.60 to $6.60 (all Singapore dollars). The new rates took effect Feb. 16.
India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Feb. 15 introduced an online e-Certificate Management System for imports. Effective Feb. 22, it will require electronic submissions for four types of import applications: I Card, Free Sale and Commerce Certificate, End-User Certificate and Status Holder Certificate. All certificates granted electronically will be given a QR code with a unique document identification number (UDIN).
China is looking into the prospect of placing export controls on rare earth minerals crucial for the manufacture of U.S. F-35 fighter jets and other crucial weaponry, according to a report in The Financial Times. The details of the proposed controls come a month after China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposed draft controls on the production and export of 17 rare earth minerals in China -- the country that controls about 80% of global supply. “The government wants to know if the US may have trouble making F-35 fighter jets if China imposes an export ban,” said a Chinese government adviser who asked not to be identified.
India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade amended its importer-exporter code (IEC) provisions to mandate that IEC holders ensure that the details of their assigned code are updated every year between April and June. In a Feb. 12 notification, the DGFT said an IEC will be deactivated if an update is not submitted within the allotted time and an IEC may be flagged for scrutiny, in which case the IEC holder must ensure that any flagged risks are addressed in a timely manner. India will also require any IEC updates to be made in an electronic portal. An IEC is a 10-digit identification number assigned by the DGFT to exporters and importers in India.
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies says federal prosecutors are withholding key evidence that could help exonerate the company from charges of bank fraud, sanctions violations, racketeering and trade secret theft. In a letter filed Feb. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Huawei argues that the government must turn over the exculpatory information that undermines allegations that Huawei and its CFO Meng Wanzhou defrauded numerous global financial institutions by lying about its relationship with its Iranian affiliate Skycom. In the letter, Huawei's defense team said it needs more of the government's information about Huawei's communications with these financial institutions, particularly London-based HSBC. The defense team claims that Huawei was transparent about its relationship with Skycom and that currently withheld government information could prove that.
A United Kingdom trade law panel established to navigate post-Brexit trade law complications officially began its work Feb. 1 and will run for a four-year period with no extension opportunities. Panelists from 18 law firms will advise on all stages of international trade disputes, sorting through World Trade Organization compliance questions and providing legal advice on trade agreement implementation.
The United Arab Emirates updated its tariff schedule after adopting amendments made to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unified Customs Tariff that passed on Oct. 25, 2020. In a Jan. 21 customs notice, Dubai Customs said the amendments were implemented effective Jan. 1. The UAE modified the description column of two tariff codes, created four new tariff headings and made 65 changes to existing tariff subheadings, KPMG said Feb. 8. The affected commodities are tobacco-related products; electronic products; cocoa powder and other instant preparation drinks with added sugar or sweetener; water, milk and cocoa beverages with added sugar or sweetener; and miscellaneous chemical products.
European Union Vice President Josep Borrell plans to place or review sanctions on Russian and Myanmar officials, he announced Feb. 9 during a European Parliament debate. Borrell, who visited Moscow last week, said sanctions could be included in a European response to the jailing of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison Feb. 2. In another Feb. 9 speech, Borrell laid out his plans to consider imposing additional targeted sanctions on individuals and businesses owned by the Myanmar military for their involvement in the Feb. 1 military coup. He also announced his intention to assess the use of the Everything But Arms trade preferences.
While the World Trade Organization faces multiple crises, including COVID-19 vaccine export control threats and massive trade wars, the institution's Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff delivered a 10-item agenda for moving forward. Speaking Feb. 9 at a Washington International Trade Association conference, Wolff said the WTO will be judged by “how well it deals with the crises of our time,” saying it must “demonstrate soon and visibly that it can deliver on subjects relevant to all those who engage in international trade or are affected by it ... pretty much everyone.”