Indonesia recently announced stricter import controls on a range of consumer products, including sports footwear, bicycles and air-conditioning equipment, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Sept. 10. The change requires importers of those goods to first obtain a permit from Indonesia, and bicycles may be imported only by companies with an “official business registration number,” HKTDC said. In addition, the goods can be imported through only certain sea and air entry ports. The increased restrictions were in response to a 70% rise in those imports during May and June.
India recently announced export restrictions on certain onion products, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a Sept. 14 notice. The change restricts exports of all onion varieties, including “Bangalore Rose onions and Krishnapuram onions,” but excludes onions “cut, sliced or broken in powder form.”
China suspended imports of horses and equine products from Malaysia due to an outbreak of African horse disease in Terengganu, Malaysia, it said Sept. 11, according to an unofficial translation. China said it will return or destroy all imported equine products from Malaysia and “strengthen the elimination” of insects on ships and vehicles from Malaysia that may be carrying the disease.
China suspended imports of pigs, wild boars and other pork products from Germany after an outbreak of African swine fever among wild boar in Brandenburg, Germany, China’s customs authority said in a Sept. 11 notice, according to an unofficial translation. China said it will return or destroy all illegally imported German pork products, and violators will face customs penalties, according to an unofficial translation of the notice.
China launched a countervailing duty investigation into imports of certain monoalkyl ethers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol originating in the U.S., the Ministry of Commerce said Sept. 14, according to an unofficial translation. China said it expects to complete the investigation by Sept. 14, 2021.
China will suspend imports from companies for one week if their “cold chain” food products or packaging test positive for COVID-19 a first or second time, the country’s customs authorities said Sept. 11, according to an unofficial translation. If the goods test positive for a third time, China said it will suspend the imports for four weeks. China’s General Administration of Customs said the move is aimed at protecting the “health and safety of consumers” and will better prevent imports of novel coronavirus-contaminated products from “overseas manufacturers.” The policy took effect Sept. 11.
China has seen a steady increase in demand for imports of semiconductors since January, China’s Commerce Ministry told reporters Sept. 10, according to an unofficial translation of a press conference transcript. A ministry spokesperson said China imported 15% more semiconductors from January to August compared with the same period last year, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and greater demand for computers, tablets and “medical electronics” due to distance working and learning. China has also been “actively stocking and increasing procurement efforts” of semiconductors as the U.S. has increased export restrictions on chips to Huawei (see 2008210045). The spokesperson said China’s increased demand has been “the main driving force for the growth of the global semiconductor market.”
China’s General Administration of Customs issued a “sampling method” standard for imports and exports of petroleum products, a notice released Sept. 10 said, according to an unofficial translation. The notice details 58 industry standards, including the petroleum sampling method, such as for fireworks, textiles fiber content, and electromagnetic field exposure to humans using household electrical appliances.
China plans to launch a system to electronically exchange origin and other trade information with Indonesia, China’s customs authority said in a Sept. 2 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The system, which will be launched Oct. 15, will allow for preferential treatment for exchanging certain certificate of origin documents and is designed to lead to more efficient declarations.
China will allow imports of fresh blueberries from Zambia, China’s General Administration of Customs said in a Sept. 7 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes quarantine and phytosanitary requirements for the blueberries.