Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time on March 8, Singapore said in a Feb. 17 notice. The agency is advising users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to usual maintenance on Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released guidance and resources to help traders benefit from the Australia-Peru free trade agreement, according to a Feb. 11 notice. The deal, which took effect Feb. 11, removes trade barriers and will allow Australian exporters of beef, sugar and dairy “historic access” to the Peruvian market, the notice said. Australia published a list of resources to help companies understand the outcomes of the deal, a guide to importing and exporting under the agreement, an online portal and a guide for doing business in Peru.

China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. decision to formally charge Huawei with theft of U.S. technology and racketeering (see 2002130045), saying the U.S. has “no proof of any wrongdoing.” The ministry urged the U.S. to “immediately stop” hurting Chinese businesses. The indictment is “economic bullying,” a ministry spokesperson said during a Feb. 14 press conference. “It severely undermines the reputation and credibility of the US, as well as the interests of American companies,” the spokesperson said, according to a transcript in English provided by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.

Japan will allow traders to renew import and export documents and authorizations if they expire due to delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a Feb. 14 notice, according to an unofficial translation. Traders can apply to extend import and export approval certificates, import and export licenses, and customs quota certificates, Japan said. Japan said it is also automatically extending the deadline for traders to meet “conditions attached to the export license” for shipments to China. The country asked traders to fulfill their shipments and orders “as soon as possible.”

As the coronavirus outbreak continues, companies should review their contracts to determine whether they contain force majeure provisions and what those contracts define as force majeure qualifying conditions, according to a Feb. 13 post from Crowell & Moring. A force majeure provision can be triggered by specific language in a contract clause -- such as natural disasters, human threats or acts of God -- or by official announcements from government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, including the World Health Organization, the post said. But the coronavirus outbreak “presents an unusual situation” because it includes both components -- a naturally occurring element and a government action. China confirmed Feb. 10 that the virus outbreak should be considered a force majeure under Chinese law, the law firm said

KPMG issued a Feb. 11 alert detailing recent announcements made by China to simplify customs and trading procedures as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak (see 2002030034). China will exempt certain import duties on ambulances and cars used for emergency purposes -- as well as medical supplies such as reagents, disinfection equipment and protective supplies -- through March 31, KPMG said. Importers are also eligible for tax refunds on qualifying supplies if they already paid duties. KPMG said to expect “more tax relief measures” if the virus continues.

Burma is updating many of its laws concerning import procedures for food, animal feed, veterinary drugs, labeling requirements and more, according to a Feb. 7 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. Burma’s new food law, which will likely be approved this year, is being expanded to cover more products, the USDA said, and its food labeling update will require all consumer products sold in the country to be labeled with “certain minimal information” in the Burmese language, the report said. The “date of compliance” for the food labeling change is April 26, 2020. The report also covers changes to packaging and container regulations, food additives regulations, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a February report on India’s increased tariffs on food and agricultural products (see 2001270016), including changes in customs duties for each product. The tariffs, which drew criticism from the U.S.-India Business Council (see 2002030041), will impact dairy products, certain nuts, vegetable oils, infant foods, soy products and more, according to the report, which also includes a table with the omitted “preferential duty rate for imports of products under the tariff rate quota.”

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade recently issued notices advising traders to indicate the “prescribed harmonized system” codes of items instead of using the “others” category for bills of entry and shipping bills, KPMG said in a Feb. 7 post. Some importers were not indicating the correct eight-digit HS code when filing a bill of entry, which led to errors in determining India’s import data, KPMG said. If the misclassification continues, India may introduce a licensing regime for items in the “others” category by “shifting items from a ‘free’ to ‘restricted’ category,” which will lead to higher customs duties.

The High Court of Australia ruled against the country’s customs agency when it said gummy vitamins are deemed “medicaments” and are not subject to import duties, according to a Feb. 7 KPMG post. The ruling, made Feb. 5, stemmed from a dispute over the correct customs classification of the vitamin gummies, which were imported into Australia and classified as “medicaments” by the importer. The country’s customs authority argued that the imports were “sugar confectionary” or “other food preparations,” which are subject to duties worth about 5 percent of the customs value.