Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced the approval of a bill that will strengthen protection of Japanese patents and intellectual property rights, the ministry said in a March 1 notice. The bill, called the Act of Partial Revision of the Patent Act, is aimed at protecting the “important technologies and other strong points of Japanese companies,” the notice said. The bill includes a new system in which “neutral technological experts” will complete on-site inspections of companies that are suspected of infringing on patents. Japan is also changing its method for calculating compensation for victims of patent infringement, allowing “rights holders to request” damages from the infringer “for all products sold by the infringer.” The bill also makes changes to Japan’s Design Act, the notice said, which includes expanding the scope of protected designs.

As part of its Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Philippines’ Department of Finance has created post clearance audit functions for the country's Bureau of Customs and announced a new prior disclosure program, which allows companies to minimize their penalties for errors and omissions on import documentation, according to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers alert. Post-clearance audits can include audits of importers, customs brokers, agents and “all other parties engaged in the customs clearance and processing functions,” according to the notice. Auditors can also review all export- and import-related records “required to be kept by law,” the notice said. The prior disclosure program, the notice said, allows the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs commissioner to consider previous disclosures of errors and omissions in goods declarations by importers “as a potential mitigating factor in determining penalties.” All disclosures must contain "the errors and payment of deficient amounts of duties, taxes and penalties."

Hong Kong lifted its ban on American lettuce harvested in Arizona, according to a report issued March 6 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The ban, officially lifted March 5, stems from a 2018 U.S. E. coli outbreak “likely linked to ... Romaine lettuce produced in” Arizona, USDA said. The Hong Kong Government Centre for Food Safety said in a notice that was included in USDA’s report that it lifted the ban after an “investigation report and the implementation of surveillance programme by the US authorities.”

China said it is blocking some imports of canola from Canada over pest concerns, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on March 6. "I can tell you responsibly that the Chinese government's decision is definitely well founded," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said during a news briefing, according to the CBC. "Upon verification, China customs has recently detected dangerous pests in canola imported from Canada many times." The CBC reported on March 5 that shipments of canola from Richardson International, a major Canadian exporter, were being blocked and China customs canceled the company's registration on March 1.

China will lower its value-added-tax rates on certain goods and services from 16 percent to 13 percent and from 10 percent to 9 percent, China's Premier Li Keqiang said during the opening of the county's annual meeting of its National People's Congress on March 5, according to multiple reports. While Li said the new 13 percent VAT will apply to manufacturing and the 9 percent will apply to transportation and construction, KPMG projects the scope of the rate changes to broad, with the 13 percent rate applying to all Chinese imports. Li did not announce when the new rates will take effect, although they are expected this year.

Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department issued updated procedures for applying for a Delivery Verification Certificate, the department said March 4. DVCs, provided to exporters as proof that their product has arrived in Hong Kong, are issued by the department after a request from the Hong Kong importer who receives the good, the department said. Along with a specific “SC011” or “TID 85” form, DVC applications must include a “bill of lading/master air waybill” and a “commercial invoice,” the department said, and can be submitted by paper or electronically as long as the applicant includes an original signed copy of the DVC application. The applicant is also required to declare that the product being shipped has arrived in Hong Kong and that the description of the product is accurate, the department said, adding that false or misleading statements can lead to “prosecution and/or administrative actions.” DVCs are usually approved within 15 business days after receipt of the application and supporting documents, the department said.