Russian customs data shows the country’s sanctioned defense companies are buying navigation equipment, jamming technology, jet-fighter parts and more from China, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 4. Russia has imported tens of thousands of shipments of dual-use goods since its invasion of Ukraine last year, most of them from China, the report said. Although the U.S. and other Western nations have imposed strict export controls on technology to stop sensitive items from being sent to Russia, Moscow is able to sustain its military needs through countries that haven’t joined the U.S.-led sanctions effort, the report said, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. But Chinese companies are the “dominant exporters” of dual-use items to Russia, the report said.

India will lower its tariffs on imported pecans from 100% to 30%, according to its proposed 2023 budget, a longtime priority of U.S. pecan growers.

China imposed quarantine and sanitation requirements on imports of fish feed meal, fish oil and other aquatic animal proteins and oils from the Gambia, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. The measures apply specifically to proteins and oils derived from marine caught aquatic animals, including invertebrates but excluding marine mammals, that are not meant for human consumption. Exporting entities must be approved by the Gambian government and implement a quality management system, among other requirements.

The Philippines recently extended a 5% tariff on certain imported chicken and turkey, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported this week. The tariff, now in place through Dec. 31, 2024, imposes the tariff on imports of “mechanically deboned or separated poultry,” USDA said.

South Korea arrested an oil broker who allegedly organized the shipment of 18,000 tonnes of diesel to North Korea without receiving the proper approval, the South Korean coast guard announced, according to an unofficial translation. The diesel was shipped 35 times from October 2021 to January 2022. A Russian oil tanker run by a South Korean supplier carried out ship-to-ship transfers with a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea. This vessel then made its own ship-to-ship transfers with a North Korean vessel, the coast guard said.

India set new registration requirements Feb. 1 for foreign food manufacturing facilities that intend to export certain products to India, including milk, meat (including poultry and fish), egg powder, infant food and nutraceuticals, despite FDA’s request for a delay to the implementation date, FDA said in an emailed release that day.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in a Jan. 31 notice extended the taxable period of antidumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate with a high degree of polymerization from China for another five years, until Feb. 2, 2028. The 39.8% to 53% duties were initially imposed for the Dec. 28, 2017, to Dec. 27, 2022, period.

China signed an authorized economic operator mutual recognition agreement with the Philippines earlier this month, according to a report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It’s the first such agreement for the Philippines. “Goods exported by AEO enterprises in both countries will enjoy lower inspection rates and other trade facilitation measures under the arrangement,” the report said.

A recent raft of import restrictions by the Sri Lankan government should have a “limited impact” on U.S. agricultural exporters in terms of trade value, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The restrictions apply to various “non-essential items,” USDA said, including food and agricultural products such as milk, chocolate, tree nuts and certain “food preparations.” The report includes a table of affected items along with their Harmonized System codes.

The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, it said Jan. 20. Singapore Customs advises users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to the usual 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday maintenance.