China’s commerce minister last week voiced “serious concerns” with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo about U.S. semiconductor export control policies, investment restrictions, “discriminatory subsidies” and sanctions on Chinese companies, a ministry spokesperson told reporters during an Aug. 31 news conference. The minister also asked Raimondo for the U.S. to treat all companies “equally in terms of market access, regulatory enforcement, public procurement, and policy support,” the spokesperson said, according to an unofficial translation.

China and Nicaragua signed a free trade agreement Aug. 31, China's Ministry of Commerce announced, according to an unofficial translation. Negotiations on the deal began in July 2022 and were concluded within a year, the ministry said, adding that the agreement will allow for a "mutual opening up" in trade in goods and services and investment market access.

India will allow rice shipments to Singapore despite its recent export restrictions on the grain (see 2308280015), a spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs announced. Formal orders will be issued shortly, the spokesperson said, noting the decision was made to allow the exports to "meet the food security requirements of Singapore" and in light of the "very close strategic partnership" between India and Singapore.

Australia's Defence Export Controls, Border Force and Department of Foreign Affairs will hold a joint outreach event Sept. 4, both online and in Adelaide, addressing the "requirements exporters must meet when" shipping controlled goods. The event will be split into three sessions: an overview of Australia's export controls, a whole-of-government presentation on export controls, and case studies on technical assessments and noncompliance.

Australia exported its first shipment of barley to China after the Chinese duties on the agricultural product were dropped (see 2308040064), Australian Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said during a news conference. The exports were sent from Kwinana -- a major terminal for grains below Perth operated by CBH Group. China imposed the duties in 2020 due to a breakdown in relations between the two nations.

India imposed additional restrictions on the export of basmati rice in an attempt to stop non-basmati white rice exports being misclassified as basmati rice, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced. After barring the export of non-basmati white rice July 20, the ministry said contracts for basmati exports valued at over $1,200 per metric ton should be registered for an allocation certificate and contracts valued below $1,200 per metric ton may be kept in abeyance and evaluated by a committee for "understanding the variation in prices and use of this route for export of non-Basmati white rice."

Taiwan is requiring a certificate of origin and customs approval before certain Chinese-origin chipmaking equipment can be shipped to the U.S. The requirement will apply to shipments of certain “machine tools operated by laser processes, of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts” or “parts of automatic data processing machines,” Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade announced this month.

China will suspend all imports of aquatic products from Japan starting Aug. 24 in response to Japan's release of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean (see 2308220022), the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. The customs administration said the move, which also covers edible aquatic animals, is meant to shield the health of Chinese consumers and ensure the safety of food imports.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, responding to a question from Express Association of America Executive Director Mike Mullen, said he was exactly right when he said that while there's a long list of problems with China, the government also has to keep in mind "how important China is to our economy, and maintaining that into the future."

Hong Kong is set to impose import restrictions on seafood from Japan in response to the Japanese government's plan to discharge Fukushima nuclear sewage, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced, according to an unofficial translation. Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Kar-chiu made the move in response to the Japanese government's 30-year plan to release sewage discharge from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which was flooded and destroyed by a tsunami in 2011, into the Pacific Ocean. "If there is any problem with the discharge of nuclear sewage in Fukushima, the ecological environment and food safety will inevitably be seriously damaged," Hong Kong said.