Vietnam's La Lay Customs Branch is launching legal action involving the illegal smuggling of tracwood, rosewood and chalkstone worth over $165,000, the state-run CustomsNews reported. Vietnamese Customs found the smuggled wood at the La Lay Border Gate in central Vietnam on the border with Laos, after inspecting seven container trucks registered to An Tran Import and Export Co., Ltd. The company was found to have made false declarations on the types of wood on board, some of it rare and precious wood. The report also said that the "containers held nearly 11,000 kg of ice (suspected to be chalkstone) without an import declaration." The legal action follows an interdisciplinary meeting between the Quang Tri Customs Department and the People's Procurary of various provinces, CustomsNews said.
The Philippines recently joined the international ATA Carnet system, allowing tax and duty-free temporary exports and imports of nonperishable goods for up to one year, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 8. The duty exemptions apply to products showcased at trade fairs or exhibitions, professional equipment and "personal goods and effects for sports purposes,” HKTDC said. The ATA Carnet, recognized by 87 countries and territories, will also allow temporary exporters to use one document for all customs transactions, the report said. If the temporarily admitted goods aren’t removed from a country within the allotted time, the parties must pay the full taxes and duties.
Twenty years after China joined the World Trade Organization, the U.S. is focused on the market distortions and domestic consequences caused by China's export-led growth, even as exports are a smaller and smaller proportion of China's GDP.
Thailand plans to amend its food labeling regulations to require more information for certain genetically modified food imports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Dec. 6. Under the new measure, which is expected to take effect in mid-2022, all food containing genetically modified plants, animals or microorganisms must be labeled if any genetically modified ingredient “is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the total weight,” USDA said.
South Korea submitted its Instrument of Ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, setting the agreement to enter into force in South Korea Feb. 1, 2022, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry noted. Ratification makes South Korea the 11th country in RCEP. The Korea Customs Service also announced that its customs administration support measures to ensure a full utilization of the agreement would be implemented Dec. 8, according to an unofficial translation. The customs service said it will promptly review applications for RCEP exporter certification, establish support centers to fully utilize RCEP, and implement a cooperation system between the customs organizations of countries in the region, among other things.
Sri Lanka recently announced plans to partially lift an import ban on agrochemical products, including fertilizers and pesticides, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 6. The restrictions, introduced in May, will no longer apply to chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides but will still apply to chemical fertilizers for paddy cultivation, HKTDC said.
Singapore recently extended its goods and services tax to cover certain low-value imports, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 7. The tax, effective Jan. 1, 2023, will apply to items imported through post or air and worth less than $296, the report said. The country will penalize noncompliant overseas traders and vendors, HKTDC said. Singapore joins the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland in imposing GST on low-value goods.
India invites applications for import authorization for watermelon seeds for the period of Jan. 1 to March 31, 2022, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said. For this period, watermelon seed imports are not to exceed 15,000 metric tons, so interested importers must apply for authorization to bring in the seeds. The Exim Facilitation Committee will review the applications, taking into consideration the firm's monthly and annual processing capacity and the applicant's prior imports. Dec. 13 is the last day online applications will be accepted for this period.
China recently published a list of Harmonized System codes that “reportedly” represent the scope of goods covered by Decree 248, which changes customs and registration procedures for some foreign food production facilities (see 2111040018 and 2110130022), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Dec. 1. While the scope of Decree 248 has so far been mostly unclear (see 2110130022), the agency said U.S facilities should review the list to determine if they need to comply with the new registration requirements.
China and Senegal signed a memorandum of understanding on e-commerce cooperation during the 8th Ministerial Conference on the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a Dec. 1 news release, according to an unofficial translation. The memorandum establishes that both parties will bolster their policy communication, back business cooperation, promote the import and export of high-quality specialty products through e-commerce and encourage the exchange of new and emerging technologies, the ministry said. China and Senegal set up a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, and this memorandum builds on the deepening ties between the nations, the release said.