The African Continental Free Trade Area recently agreed to rules of origin for the trading bloc, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 14. The agreed rules set new requirements for about 87.7% of the goods -- about 3,800 tariff lines -- covered under AfCTA, the report said, clearing a hurdle that has hindered the group since it began trading last year. Before the rules were agreed to in January, trade had been “very slow” under the agreement, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a range of other nontariff barriers (see 2108180020).
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced Feb. 11. The ports originally planned to begin imposing the fee Nov. 15, but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until Feb. 18.
The Bureau of Industry and Security added seven entities to the Entity List for nuclear and nonproliferation reasons, including one company in China, five in Pakistan and one in the United Arab Emirates, BIS said. The additions take effect Feb. 14.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced Feb. 4. The ports originally planned to begin imposing the fee Nov. 15, but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until Feb. 11.
The House voted 222-210 last week to pass its China competition bill, which includes a variety of provisions that could expand U.S. export controls, sanctions and investment screening authorities. Although the America Competes Act faced objections from Republicans who argued it wasn’t tough enough on China and didn’t include strong enough export control measures (see 2202020039), several provisions could lead to more China sanctions and further restrict exports of critical American technologies.
A bipartisan amendment that would ban mink farming for fur production in the U.S. passed the House of Representatives 262-168, as the House was working its way through hundreds of amendments to the America Competes Act. The amendment, co-sponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., amends the Lacey Act. It was changed from the original language, which spoke specifically of ending import and export of Neovison vison, the species known as American minks. The new version bans the sale, possession, acquisition, purchase or transport of the species, if it was raised in captivity for fur production. If this section of the bill survives the conference committee process with the Senate, it would take effect Dec. 31.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a Feb. 3 final rule to reorganize, make corrections and clarify the scope of its foreign direct product rules. The changes, mentioned in the agency’s fall 2021 regulatory agenda (see 2112210044), help to clarify where and how the FDP rules apply and make some corrections to language in the Export Administration Regulations.
Terminal operators at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports will again adjust their traffic mitigation fee this month to help incentivize the movement of containers during off-peak hours. The fee -- originally announced in November by the West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (see 2111120022) -- had returned to normal levels Feb. 1 (see 2201180043), but the Biden administration asked the WCMTOA on Jan. 21 to continue the fee program, the terminals announced Feb. 1. The fee, which is scheduled to take effect again Feb. 14, will change to $78.23 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and will be charged only on weekdays during the daytime shift. The Biden administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force hopes the fee adjustment incentivizes “more truck trips to the off-peak shifts.”
The General Department of Vietnam Customs directed its local branches to strictly inspect and supervise import entries of rice that are then exported or reexported to other markets, to prevent origin fraud, the state-run CustomsNews said Jan. 29. The customs agency issued such instructions over fears that the rice imports are being illegally labeled and transshipped for rice products with HS codes 1006.20, 1006.30 and 1006.40.90. The GDVC will require local customs units to identify the origin for the rice products with these HS codes using measures that include customs officers conducting a physical inspection of the rice shipments, the report said. Other measures to be used for these efforts include the strengthening of the information collection, which entails a review of the rice export and import activities in the area and analysis of the information used to identify risks of origin fraud or illicit transshipment, the report said.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced Jan. 28. The ports originally planned to begin imposing the fee Nov. 15, but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until Feb. 4.