Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance from 4 a.m. to noon local time on Sunday, June 14, it said in a May 28 notice. The agency is advising users to avoid submitting applications “involving amendment, cancellation, refund and stock related permit applications” during this time. This is in addition to usual maintenance on Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
India lifted export restrictions on the painkiller paracetamol, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a May 28 notice, effective immediately. India previously lifted export restrictions on formulations made of paracetamol but kept restrictions on the paracetamol active ingredient (see 2004200021).
China will ban imports of Indian pigs, wild boars and their products due to a recent outbreak of African swine fever in India, China’s General Administration of Customs said May 27, according to an unofficial translation. China said it will destroy all imported Indian pigs, boars and pig products, and if incoming ships or aircrafts have pigs or boars from India on board, they will be “sealed up” and not opened “without customs permission” during the cargo’s time in China. Violators of the ban will face customs penalties, China said.
Vietnam will only allow certain temporary imports of goods for reexport at certain border checkpoints beginning in 2021, according to a May 26 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The checkpoints, which will be designated as “international border gates or main border gates,” will allow imports of all goods that are stored in a bonded warehouse before being reexported. Use of other border gates for temporary imports will be “strictly prohibited,” the report said.
India is restoring physical submissions of certificates of origin for certain exports to Thailand and Vietnam, according to a May 22 notice. India previously allowed certain agencies to issue electronic certificates of origin but had received complaints from exporters about problems “obtaining preferential access” in Thailand and Vietnam due to the digital certificates. India said applications for certificates of origin should now be submitted manually. Electronic certificates are still available for exports to other nations under India’s trade pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Singapore Customs scheduled system maintenance for its ASEAN Single Window gateway for May 27, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, Singapore said May 22. During this time, certain features of the gateway may be unavailable, such as the electronic transmission of “Form Ds to the importing ASEAN Member State,” Singapore said.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released its annual “unfair trade report,” which details foreign countries’ trade policies that are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules, according to an unofficial translation of a May 25 notice. The report includes unfair trade policies conducted by a range of Asian countries -- including China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India -- as well as the European Union.
China will allow imports of Indonesian dragon fruit, the country’s General Administration of Customs said in a May 23 notice. The notice includes quarantine and phytosanitary requirements for imports.
China criticized the U.S.’s decision to add more Chinese companies to its Entity List (see 2005220058), adding that it will take measures to “protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese enterprises.” A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the U.S. has “overstretched the concept of national security” and abused its export controls. “We urge the U.S. to correct its mistake, rescind the relevant decision, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs,” the spokesperson said during a May 25 press conference.
Thailand recently increased its import quota for fresh potato imports, creating opportunities for U.S. potato exporters, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released May 20. Thailand increased its quota from 52,000 metric tons to 58,400 metric tons for 2020 due to “insufficient supply” for further processing, the report said. The import window for potatoes for chip processing is July 1 to Dec. 31 annually.