China announced retaliatory sanctions on six U.S. people and one entity in response to the U.S.'s Hong Kong Business Advisory and sanctions on Hong Kong officials (see 2107160030), China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said July 23. The sanctions target Wilbur Ross, former secretary of commerce; Carolyn Bartholomew, chair of the U.S.-China Economic Security and Review Commission; Jonathan Stivers, former staff director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China; DoYun Kim of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; Adam King, senior program manager of the International Republican Institute; and Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. China also sanctioned the Hong Kong Democracy Council. China said the U.S.'s updated Hong Kong business advisory was created to "groundlessly smear Hong Kong's business environment."

Nepal and India recently agreed to share access to India’s freight services “to convey freight to, from and around Nepal,” the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported July 21. The agreement will allow all cargo train operators to use the Indian railway network to ship Nepal’s containers and freight, either between India and Nepal or to a third country “via an Indian port facility,” HKTDC said. The deal is a “significant step by India as it looks to improve regional connectivity,” the report said.

India's Kamarajar Port is now listed as a designated port for the import of unshredded metallic scrap and waste, India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a July 20 notice. Kamarajar is the 18th and most recent port to achieve the designation. The others are Chennai, Cochin, Ennore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kandla, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam, Pipava, Mundra, Kolkata, Krishnapatnam, Kattupalli and Hazira.

Thailand plans to sign a mini free trade deal with Kofu, Japan, to boost trade with the north-central region, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported July 16. The deal, which would be Thailand’s first mini free trade agreement, likely would increase trade in gems and jewelry and could serve as a format for other mini deals between Thailand and regions in China, India and South Korea, HKTDC said.

Singapore Customs in a July 19 notice reminded traders of the proper information to be submitted when applying for an import or export permit. Customs agents should submit the proper eight-digit Harmonised System Code, the correct value of the declared goods in Singapore dollars based on commercial invoices and the description of the goods, including specific descriptions. Other permit fields include the units of quantity and measurement for the respective HS code, proper country of origin information, country of final destination data and preferential indicators.

China's General Administration of Customs banned the import of cattle from Laos after an outbreak of bovine nodular skin disease, it said in a July 15 notice, according to an unofficial translation. Related products, including goods from the unprocessed cattle or products that may still transmit the disease, have also been banned.

China's General Administration of Customs abolished its special customs clearance procedures for imported donated materials to combat COVID-19, it said in a July 15 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The goods will revert to being processed according to "current relevant regulations."

Japan Customs published an updated list July 15 of the issuing authorities for exports' certificate of origin under the Generalized System of Preferences for North Macedonia and Afghanistan. The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia may certify a product's origin for North Macedonia, and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment may do the same for Afghanistan. Japan's GSP applies reduced tariffs for imports from developing countries.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry picked 151 projects that qualify under the Program for Promoting Investment in Japan to Strengthen Supply Chains. The program, a July 2 news release said, will provide support for businesses in their plans to build new plants and create new facilities involved in the supply chains of crucial goods as identified by Japan. The program received an initial 280 applications. These projects in total will receive around 209.5 billion yen.

The Philippines recently announced plans to ban most trans fatty-acids by 2023, including TFAs in imported food products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a July 9 report. The order, which took effect July 6, provides a policy framework to eliminate “industrially-produced” TFAs in the country’s food supply within the next two years and reduce TFA intake “to less than 1% of the recommended total energy intake.” Under the order, the Philippines will ban the production, import and commercial distribution of industrially produced TFAs and processed food products containing TFAs, USDA said.