Vietnam is lifting an import ban on pre-owned information technology goods if those goods will be used for scientific research and development or will be re-exported, according to an Oct. 24 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The items were previously on a 2015 prohibited list but now must be re-exported or destroyed within three months of the completion of research and development, the report said. In cases in which “the imported items are to be used in repairs or export-processing,” the final goods are prohibited from being sold domestically and must be exported.

China recently announced plans for 20 national pilot zones to promote the development and manufacturing of artificial intelligence, according to an Oct. 24 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The pilot zones aim to make China an internationally recognized AI innovation hub, the report said. The sites will be located across the country, including in the “Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta,” the report said. China’s plans come as the U.S. Commerce Department considers export controls on emerging technologies -- including artificial intelligence -- to limit China and other countries from gaining access to sensitive technology (see 1910040045).

China’s Changsha Customs recently introduced the country’s “two-step declaration” system in an effort to streamline cargo processing and expedite customs clearance, China’s General Administration of Customs said in an Oct. 23 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The system aims to “meet the needs of international trade” by allowing companies to avoid submitting paperwork “at one time,” allowing them to first submit “summary declarations” and later submit a “complete declaration” within two weeks. China plans to implement the two-step system, announced in August (see 1908150031), at 10 customs ports, and has already implemented it at Ningbo Customs (see 1908160016).

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade will increase checks on several online imports to limit counterfeit and illegally imported goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in an Oct. 21 report. Vietnam will place more scrutiny on cosmetics, jewelry, nutritional supplements, apparel, footwear and alcohol, the report said, and is expected to begin later this month and continue through 2020. The increased enforcement will include “spot checks” conducted at businesses running e-commerce platforms, the HKTDC said. Businesses that trade in illegal goods or violate intellectual property rights will “face further investigation and possible prosecution,” the report said.

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently announced application procedures for sugar and wool import quotas for 2020, according to an Oct. 21 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Companies must submit applications for China’s “Application and Distribution Procedures for Sugar Import Tariff Quotas” by Oct. 30, the HKTDC said. In the wool and “animal hair” sector, companies will be allocated quotas on a “first come, first served” basis “until all available quotas have been exhausted,” the report said.

China signed memorandums of understanding on e-commerce with Samoa and Vanuatu, China’s Ministry of Commerce said Oct. 21, according to an unofficial translation. China will establish an “e-commerce cooperation mechanism” with Samoa to “promote the trade of quality products … create a good cooperation environment for the development of e-commerce in the two countries, and further expand new channels for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.” China said it plans to work with Vanuatu to “strengthen policy communication and coordination in the field of e-commerce, and cooperate in corporate exchanges, personnel training, sharing best practices and innovative experiences.”

A recently upgraded China-Singapore free trade agreement represents China's attempt to diversify its trading relationships as the U.S.-China trade war continues, according to an Oct. 21 post from Dezan Shira & Associates. The upgraded agreement, which took effect Oct. 16, expands cooperation on rules of origin, customs procedures, trade remedies and more, the post said. “China is actively diversifying its economic relationships with new and old partners and strengthening cooperation with Belt and Road countries, including Singapore,” the law firm said. The agreement will lead to “improved trade and investment ties” between the two countries, according to the post.

Cambodia recently adopted laws to regulate its e-commerce sector to align its e-commerce trading with “international best practices,” according to an Oct. 18 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council The regulations introduced “enhanced conditions” for regional and international trade and improved security for all electronic transactions, the report said. It also includes procedures to settle online trading disputes, the HKTDC said, and aims to help small to medium-sized businesses “connect with global supply chains.”

Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance from 4 a.m. to noon on Nov. 3, Singapore said in an Oct. 18 notice. Singapore asked users to avoid submitting applications during the maintenance period.

China’s Guangdong province plans to prioritize imports of a “wide range of equipment, components and technological processes” that are “essential” to its key commercial sectors, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in an Oct. 18 report. The priority imports include 575 components, 103 equipment goods and 519 advanced technological processes, the report said. The components include “high-speed high precision robotic arms" and sewage treatment systems. The equipment goods include “precision forging, multistage forging and vehicle part casting systems," "new-energy vehicle components production facilities” and other specialized electronic equipment. The advanced technological processes include agricultural technologies for “improving the sugar content, yield and pest-resistance of sugar cane” and certain pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment technology, the HKTDC said.