Vietnam will boost its coal imports from 2025 to 2035 to meet domestic production demand, according to a plan from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the state-run CustomsNews reported Aug. 21. The Southeast Asian nation will bring in 50 to 83 million tonnes of coal per year during this 10-year span, with the volume gradually declining to 32 to 35 million tonnes a year by 2045. Domestic consumption of coal has nearly doubled since 2011, mainly due to electricity production, and the demand is only anticipated to increase, CustomsNews said.

India may double its exports of laboratory-made diamonds in the current financial year, the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council's vice chairman, Vipul Shah, said in an interview, Bloomberg reported Aug. 22. Following a drastic uptick in U.S. demand and a more widespread acceptance of lab-made gems in other markets, India -- which cuts or polishes around 90% of the globe's diamonds -- will boost exports of lab-made stones. Shah said exports could grow to $7 billion or $8 billion in the next few years following the growth of U.S., U.K. and Australian demand. In the April-July period this year, exports of polished lab-grown diamonds from India jumped 70% to around $622 million, while exports of mined diamonds fell around 3% to $8.2 billion in the same period, Bloomberg said.

China announced certain steps it will take to optimize its port business environment to promote cross-border trade facilitation for imports and exports subject to quarantine, the General Administration of Customs said Aug. 23, according to an unofficial translation. The steps include dropping the requirement for entry-exit health quarantine and sanitation entities to get approval from customs, giving entry-exit health quarantine and sanitation treatment entities the capability of on-site disinfection, and strengthening the supervision of the on-site operation of entry and exit animal and plant quarantine and pest control.

Japan recently rejected South Korea’s request to allow it back on Japan’s white list of trusted trading partners, according to an unofficial translation of an Aug. 21 report from South Korean daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo. The report, citing an article recently published by Japan’s Sankei Shimbun, said Japan rejected the South Korea request at a foreign ministers meeting held in Cambodia earlier this month.

China imported its first batch of avocados from Kenya this month, a move Chinese officials believe is the start of a plan that will significantly increase imports from Africa, the South China Morning Post reported Aug. 21. The Kenyan avocados, which were granted market access by China’s customs agency earlier this year (see 2206030016), will help to “further boost the economic ties between the two countries,” according to a report from Xinhua, a Chinese state-run news agency. A Chinese official said the exports have “huge potential,” the report said. A Kenyan official said the new market access agreement “is a monumental feat that will boost our economy and benefit key players across the avocado value chain including farmers.”

Taiwan is encouraging exporters to alert its Bureau of Foreign Trade if they encounter certain issues shipping goods to China, the bureau said last week. China’s customs agency has reportedly detained goods originating in Taiwan if the items aren’t labeled as "Made in Taiwan, China,” the foreign trade bureau said. Beijing objects to any insinuation on product labeling that suggests Taiwan is a separate territory and not a part of China (see 2208080026). Taiwan said exporters with detained goods in China should provide the bureau with “relevant information, such as the customs ports, importers, customs brokers, and descriptions of goods.” Then, the Taiwan Customs agency will contact China's Customs to deal with the situation.

China’s General Administration of Customs this week issued phytosanitary requirements for imported fresh pineapples from Indonesia, according to an unofficial translation of a notice. The notice also outlines inspection and quarantine requirements for the imports.

India delayed the effective date for its new export policy for certain types of rice, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in an Aug. 17 notice. The new export policy will now take effect Jan. 1, 2023, instead of the previous effective date of July 1, 2022. The policy will require exporters of the rice destined to certain European countries outside the EU to first obtain an export inspection certificate from the government before the shipments can leave the country.

China and Russia this month held a meeting on economic and trade cooperation, at which the two sides discussed “developing bilateral trade,” according to an unofficial translation of a Chinese Ministry of Commerce notice. China-Russia trade has “maintained a sound growth” since the beginning of the year, the notice said, adding that the two countries should continue to “consolidate trade of key goods, strengthen economic cooperation and trade between small and medium-sized enterprises and local regions,” and “deepen trade and investment facilitation.” The meeting comes as much of the Western world, including the U.S. and the European Union, imposes sanctions and other trade restrictions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Pakistan recently lifted its import ban on non-essential and luxury items, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 15. The ban will no longer apply to a range of items, including dry and fresh fruits, decoration items, chocolate, furniture, musical instruments, cigarettes, cosmetics and more, the report said. Some import restrictions will still apply to mobile phones, “completely built‑up automobiles” and home appliances.