China revised its import procedures for a range of batteries, the country’s customs authority said in a Sept. 7 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The changes, which take effect Oct. 1, will “optimize the quality and safety inspection and supervision methods” for 22 subheadings of batteries, China said, by allowing traders to issue self-declarations for the safety regulations required for battery imports. If traders do not choose to self-declare, China said it will continue to adopt its “current inspection and supervision method.” The batteries range from button-type, to those with various weights of mercury or alkaline zinc, or with vanadium, or possessing certain voltage.
India revised its export policies for certain finished leather goods, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said Sept. 4. The revisions update export conditions for a range of leather products, including suede, nubuck, “goat and sheep based lining” leathers and laminated leathers. The notice details certain manufacturing norms and conditions for each product. The amendments were made “in the light of several changes that have taken place in the past 7-8 years in the tanning technology and new types of finished leather being produced now,” it said.
India is requiring all toy products, including imports, to be certified as safe by the Bureau of Indian Standards before they can be sold in the country, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Sept. 8. The change, which took effect Sept. 1, also requires toy manufacturers and distributors to obtain a license from the Indian agency to prove their products comply with safety requirements. Toys must be classified in one of two categories before being licensed: nonelectric toys and electric toys.
China is launching a mission to set global regulations on data security as its companies increasingly face accusations of breaching foreign countries’ data privacy laws, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the International Seminar on Global Digital Governance Sept. 8 in Beijing, according to the text his speech. Wang, speaking weeks after the U.S. announced bans on transactions with the parent companies of WeChat and TikTok (see 2008070024), said Chinese companies have been forced to unfairly adapt to foreign data regulations.
China will impose countervailing measures on imports of n-propanol from the United States, a Sept. 4 Ministry of Commerce notice said, according to an unofficial translation. China said its n-propanol industry has suffered “substantial damage” due to the U.S. imports. Beginning Sept. 9, Chinese “import operators” must pay Chinese customs authorities at rates between 34.2% and 37.7%, the notice said.
Beijing will be testing all imported cold-chain food entering the Chinese capital, in a move to curb COVID-19 exposure, state-owned news service Xinhau said in a report. Other goods will be tested only if they come from high-risk countries and regions, it said.
China’s Shenzhen region recently strengthened its import controls for frozen meat and aquatic products to better prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 28. All covered imports must first go through a recently created “supervision warehouse” in Shenzhen, where the goods' packaging will be disinfected and samples will undergo nucleic acid tests before they can be stored, sold and processed, HKTDC said. The goods cannot leave the warehouse before obtaining a warehouse exit certificate.
China revised its list of technologies subject to export controls, including some dual-use items, the country’s Commerce Ministry and Ministry of Science and Technology said Aug. 28, according to unofficial translations. The list has 53 revisions, China’s Commerce Ministry said, including the addition of export restrictions on 23 “new technology items.” The Ministry of Science and Technology provided a Chinese-language notice outlining the changes.
India recently notified the World Trade Organization of its draft regulations for new and revised standards for dairy products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Aug. 25. The regulations contain new provisions on labeling requirements and the composition of the products. The revised standards apply to ghee (clarified butter) and other milk fat products. Comments on the regulations are due in New Delhi Oct. 12.
India revised its export policies for certain personal protective equipment, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said Aug. 25. The change removes restrictions on exports of medical coveralls and 2/3 ply surgical masks, and sets monthly export quotes for medical goggles and “N-95/FFP2” masks. The monthly export quota is 2 million (20 lakh) for medical goggles and 5 million (50 lakh) for the restricted masks. Nitrite/NBR gloves continue to be prohibited for export, the notice said.