China’s Commerce Ministry last week imposed steep import taxes on Australian wine, saying the wine is being unfairly dumped and effectively cutting off those imports. The temporary duties, which took effect Nov. 28, range about 107.1% to 212.1%, China’s Commerce Ministry said, according to an unofficial translation. Those rates will make Australian wine unsellable in China, Australia’s trade minister said, The Associated Press reported Nov. 27.
Singapore Customs arrested four men involved in a scheme to illegally import cigarettes, the agency said in a Nov. 25 notice. Singapore alleged one of the men used his freight forwarding company to illegally import the cigarettes and falsely labeled them as stationery. The men stored the cigarettes on “company premises” and smuggled them out using their cars before being discovered by Singapore authorities. Customs officers seized about 1,200 cartons and 11 packets of cigarettes, and said the scheme evaded more than $160,000 (in Singapore dollars) in taxes on the imports. Charges have been filed, and investigation continues.
Although China’s recently announced plan for its Hainan free trade port could turn the island into a global trading hub, Chinese importers of U.S. agricultural goods have not yet embraced the strategy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said. China’s plan, released in June (see 2006030007), includes measures to reach zero and reduced tariffs for a range of imports by 2025, FAS said in a report released Nov. 20. But Chinese importers “appear reluctant to move forward until the food processing industry matures, infrastructure is built, cold chain capacity increases, and logistical connections are in place,” FAS said. Other importers want to wait to see how the plan’s tariff policies are implemented in practice “before pursuing potential business opportunities,” the report said.
China's President Xi Jinping on Nov. 25 congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his election, the Chinese Embassy in Washington reported. Promoting “healthy and stable development” of China-U.S. relations “serves the fundamental interests of the people in both countries” and “meets the common expectation of the international community,” Xi's message to Biden said, the embassy said. “Xi said he hopes that the two sides will uphold the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.” The Biden transition team didn’t comment.
Japan revised its foreign exchange and export control ordinance regarding review of certain “cargo and technology,” a Nov. 24 news release said, according to an unofficial translation. The changes affect technology related to the “design of equipment attached to numerical control devices,” liquids that “can be used as refrigerants” and “electric braking shutters.” Japan said it will begin enforcing the changes Jan. 27, 2021.
India recently proposed an amendment to its standards and requirements for regulations covering “specialty products” covered under its Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Nov. 23. The changes, proposed Nov. 6, would affect regulations concerning health supplements, nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary use or special medical purposes, functional foods and novel foods, the USDA said. World Trade Organization members have 60 days from the notification date to comment on the proposal.
China revised certain “data items” in declarations of cargo being imported or exported by water or air, according to an unofficial translation of a Nov. 20 notice from the country’s customs authority. The notice, which takes effect Dec. 1, provides instructions on formatting the declaration for customs and what should be included in the declaration. China previously announced new electronic declaration procedures for air and water transport in September (see 2009160022).
China will reduce to zero the tariffs on 97% of tariff products from Laos starting Dec. 1, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Nov. 19. Tariffs will be eliminated from more than 8,000 items.
China has revised and published its “import and export tariff commodities and item notes,” which will affect the country’s commodity classifications, China’s General Administration of Customs said in a Nov. 16 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The move follows similar changes by the World Customs Organization to its “Harmonized System Notes,” China said. The revisions become effective Dec. 1.
China criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order that will ban Americans from investing in Chinese military-owned firms (see 2011130026), saying it unfairly suppresses Chinese companies, China’s Commerce Ministry said Nov. 16, according to an unofficial translation of a press release that cites a news conference transcript. China also said the U.S. list of companies with ties to the Chinese military is neither based on “nor consistent with legal principles.”