China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it opposes legislation planned by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that could lead to new sanctions on Chinese military firms.

Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department is asking industry to submit permit applications and reports for activities involving certain chemicals controlled by the Chemical Weapons Convention, the agency said this month. Hong Kong requires operators of certain facilities that work and trade with the chemicals to submit annual reports, which are then submitted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the international implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The annual reports must contain details about past and “anticipated activities” involving controlled chemicals. Violators of the reporting requirements, including facilities operating without the required permits, may face fines and imprisonment. Facilities must report certain activities by July 19.

Beijing renewed its antidumping duties on imports of Japanese and U.S. optical fiber preforms, saying in a July 10 notice that the imports will damage China’s domestic industry if the duties are allowed to lapse. The tariffs will remain in place for five years from July 11, according to an unofficial translation.

Beijing is investigating the EU for potentially adopting unfair trade practices as part of the bloc’s process for awarding projects to Chinese suppliers of wind power, photovoltaics, security equipment and electric trains destined for Europe, China’s Ministry of Commerce said July 10. The ministry plans to complete its probe by Jan. 10, although it could be extended to April 10, according to an unofficial translation. The announcement comes after the EU in April began an investigation on Chinese government subsidies awarded to suppliers of wind turbines destined for Europe (see 2404090038).

The Philippines last month updated import duty rates for a range of commodities, including a lower tariff rate for rice, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report. The country lowered its rice duty from 35% to 15%, USDA said, adding that the tariff changes are meant to “augment supply, manage prices, and temper inflationary pressure of various commodities.”

Exporters of dairy products to India will on Sept. 1 be required to appear on a list of approved establishments eligible to export to the country, the FDA said in an emailed news release last week. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India “will include establishments on these lists that have been found to comply with applicable food safety requirements by the competent authority of the exporting country,” the FDA said. The agency will keep a list of establishments that have “expressed interest in exporting dairy to India” and that the FDA has found to meet U.S. requirements, and the agency will “transmit an initial list of such firms to FSSAI” by Sept. 1, it said. Establishments that want to be included on the initial list should request to be added by Aug. 23 using the FDA’s Export Listing Module, the FDA said.

The free trade agreement between China and Serbia will take effect July 1, China's Ministry of Commerce announced, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said the deal will scrap tariffs on 90% of goods, of which over 60% will be eliminated July 1. The deal also includes chapters on "rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade remedies, dispute settlement, intellectual property protection, investment cooperation, competition, etc.," the ministry said.

China this week launched an antidumping duty investigation on imports of pork and pork byproducts from the EU after receiving a request for the probe by the China Animal Husbandry Association, according to an unofficial translation of a Chinese Ministry of Commerce notice. The investigation will cover the period Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023, and is scheduled to be completed by June 17, 2025, but may be extended. China said it will carry out the investigation “in accordance with the law, fully protect the rights of all stakeholders, and make an objective and fair ruling based on the investigation results.” The announcement came days after the EU said it would set new countervailing duties on Chinese electric vehicles (see 2406120008).

South Korea dropped trade barriers on French and Irish beef, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade announced June 13. The commission said the decision follows "consistent representations made by the Commission." The Korean market closed for beef from 15 EU member nations due to outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In 2019, the market reopened for beef from Denmark and the Netherlands.

Ahead of a possible EU decision this week on tariffs for Chinese electric vehicle imports (see 2310040012 and 2403150047), Beijing warned Europe about imposing increased duties, saying it won’t “sit idly by.” China “urges the EU to end the investigation as soon as possible to avoid undermining China-EU economic and trade cooperation and the stability of industrial and supply chains,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters June 11. If it doesn’t, “we will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard our lawful rights and interests.”