India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade permitted the import of up to 1.2 million metric tons of crushed and de-oiled genetically modified soya cake until Oct. 31 under ITC Harmonized System codes 23040020 and 23040030 in an Aug. 24 notice. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying sought permission to import the food item. In response, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change inspected the soya cake in question and determined that since it does not contain any living modified organism, it can be imported. Shipments will only be accepted at the Nhava Sheva container and Petrapole land border ports, it said.
South Korea recently updated its requirements for imported U.S. dairy products, including those that contain eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Aug. 25. The change, which took effect in July, requires all U.S.-origin dairy products to include a dairy export certificate issued by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. South Korea had previously accepted manufacturer statements in addition to USDA certificates. USDA said it launched a new dairy certificate on its Agriculture Trade Licensing & Attestation Solution system to help exporters comply with the new requirement.
Thailand recently launched a “Factory Sandbox” pilot program in a bid to minimize COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions on its export-driven manufacturing industries, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 25. The program involves testing, vaccinating and isolating factory workers at certain qualifying manufacturing factories to make sure the country maintains certain export levels, the report said. Thailand is prioritizing exporters in the automotive, electronics, food, beverages and medical equipment sectors, HKTDC said, and will initially include about 60 factories in certain “key manufacturing hubs.”
Myanmar’s corn exports rose “significantly” over the past year despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the military coup, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report. Myanmar exporters have been unable to meet the high corn demand from neighboring Thailand, USDA said, and are also benefiting from a newly finalized sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with China. But USDA expects “fewer exportable supplies” for the remainder of the 2020-2021 fiscal year “due to the record exports during the first eight months.” The country-wide instability caused by the military coup initially crippled Myanmar’s logistics industry (see 2103090005), but trade has managed to continue (see 2107120011).
The Meishan terminal at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the world's third-largest port, reopened Aug. 25 after a two-week shut down, Bloomberg reported. The one terminal constituted around a quarter of the port's capacity and was shut down Aug. 11 after a worker was infected with COVID-19. COVID-related shipping delays have worsened in 2021, making it more expensive to meet record-high demand for Chinese exports, Bloomberg said. For instance, it now costs around a record $11,000 for a container to ship goods from Shanghai to Los Angeles, the report said.
Hong Viet Production Trading Service Joint Stock Co. and Montrose Consulting Co., both based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, saw their import and exporting rights suspended by the HCM City Customs Department following the late payment of taxes, state-run publication CustomsNews said Aug. 25. The local tax department is requesting around $170,000 from Hong Viet Production and $11,000 from Montrose Consulting, leading to the suspension of customs clearance procedures for the companies. “Many companies paid taxes after the local department enforced sanctions,” CustomsNews said.
Pakistan recently extended its sales tax exemption on imported goods used to treat COVID-19, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 23. The exemption, which was scheduled to lapse July 9 and will now continue through year-end, covers a range of medical devices and supplies, including X‑ray equipment, vital sign monitors and surgical masks.
Japan recently expanded the types of plums that can be imported from the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in an Aug. 22 report. Under the change, announced Aug. 19, imports of U.S.-origin Japanese plums, also known as Prunus salicina, are now allowed, the report said. The imported plums must meet certain conditions, including a mandatory methyl bromide fumigation. They also must include a phytosanitary certificate issued by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
India recently lifted its antidumping duty on imports of viscose staple fiber from China and Indonesia, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 24. India lifted the duties on the textile inputs amid strong lobbying from industry, which said the duties inflated the costs of the “essential input.” India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommended lifting the duty despite determining a “likelihood that dumping might recur in the future,” the report said.
China's General Administration of Customs barred the import of pigs, wild boars and their products from Dominica following an outbreak of African swine fever on the Caribbean island nation, the customs agency said, according to an unofficial translation. If these products are found on a transport vehicle such as a ship, aircraft or automobile, the vehicle will be sealed and not allowed into China without customs clearance, the release said.