Singapore Customs will update its Networked Trade Platform on a rolling basis starting July 1. On this date, the customs administration also will revise its fee schedule, removing all NTP account fees. Traders now will pay for only specific services, such as the application fee of $4 per candidate for Certificate of Non-Manipulation. A $40 per month fee will continue to be charged for firms using the NTP to send and receive files from other businesses, Singapore Customs said.

India is making officers at regional branches of its Directorate General of Foreign Trade available for virtual meetings, with a goal of trade facilitation and extending "proactive hand-holding and support to the exporting community," the DGFT announced May 31. Exporters can apply for videoconferencing on the DGFT website starting June 1.

India made a series of changes to its ITC (HS) 2022 schedule to align with changes made in the Finance Act 2023 and Foreign Trade Policy 2023, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced. In a separate notice, the DGFT amended the export policy for rice (basmati and non-basmati) for goods to certain European countries to say that the Certificate of Inspection from the Export Inspection Council or Export Inspection Agency will not be mandatory for six months.

Japan and the United Arab Emirates last week signed a defense equipment and technology transfer agreement, which is aimed at strengthening the countries’ cooperation in defense trade and research. The deal also “establishes a legal framework for the handling of defense equipment and technology transferred between the two countries,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s minister of foreign affairs, according to an unofficial translation of a May 26 press conference transcript. Hayashi said the agreement also will ensure the ”proper management” of defense items transferred to third countries “and their use for purposes other than those intended.” The deal, which is the first defense technology sharing agreement between Japan and a country in the Middle East, will take effect “after the necessary procedures have been completed between the governments of both countries.”

Japan last week announced new sanctions and export controls against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, designating more than 80 people and entities and introducing new restrictions on certain exports and services to Russia. The financial sanctions apply to parties “directly involved” in Russia’s actions in Crimea, Sevastopol and other regions of Ukraine, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, and the export controls apply to 80 sanctioned entities and items that could “contribute to the enhancement of Russian industrial capacities.” Japan also imposed a prohibition on providing architectural and engineering services to Russia.

China imposed inspection and quarantine requirements for imports of both cooked and cured pork products from France, the General Administration of Customs announced in a pair of notices, according to an unofficial translation. The covered products include edible boneless pork products, products that have pork as the main raw material and went through "effective curing and processing."

Bangladesh this month eliminated a fumigation requirement for imports of U.S. cotton, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a May 23 report. Certain U.S. cotton no longer needs to undergo “fumigation on-arrival” as long as the shipment has a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Japan's export control measures on 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing technology are an abuse of export control measures and departure from international trade rules, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry on May 23 urged Japan to immediately drop the controls, which it says are hindering the normal development of each country's semiconductor industry. Japan imposed the restrictions in late March, aligning with elements of U.S. restrictions on China (see 2303310031). The controls cover six categories of equipment used in chip manufacturing, including cleaning, deposition, lithography and etching.

China's General Administration of Customs and Macau Customs inked a mutual recognition agreement, which comes into effect June 1, China's customs agency announced, according to an unofficial translation. Under the accord, customs agencies of mainland China and Macau will recognize each party's authorized economic operator (AEO) system and allow designated AEOs to clear customs with ease. Both parties will also provide a host of customs clearance facilitation services for the AEO enterprises, the customs administration said.

A limited trade deal announced between the U.S. and Taiwan (see 2305190074) angered the Chinese government. When asked about the deal at a regular press conference in Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that signing a deal with Taiwan "implies sovereignty." He added: "The U.S. move gravely violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, and contravenes the U.S.’s own commitment of maintaining only unofficial relations with Taiwan. China deplores and strongly opposes this move."