The trade ministers for nearly 30 least-developed countries (LDCs) released a declaration laying out their trade priorities in advance of the 12th Ministerial Conference being held Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, the World Trade Organization said. The priorities include equal access to and faster distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and effective implementation of integration of LDCs into the global trading system. This latter point includes preferential rules of origin decisions, an LDC services waiver and duty-free market access for LDC products, the WTO said. The LDCs also called for a working group on WTO reforms to be launched at MC12. “MC12 should respond adequately to mitigate the social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ali Djadda Kampard, Chad’s minister for trade and industry and coordinator of the WTO LDC Group.
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Ukraine launched a safeguard investigation on tricone drilling bits Oct. 13, it notified the World Trade Organization, the WTO said Oct. 22. The investigation will cover drilling bits with working parts other than natural or artificial diamond, "regardless of the country of origin and export." Ukraine cited substantial evidence from a national producer that documented increased imports of the subject merchandise could cause injury to the domestic producer. Ukraine's Ministry of Economy will conduct a registration of interested parties within 30 days from the publication of its Oct. 11 notice of the decision to conduct the inquiry.
The United Kingdom launched a new Trade and Agriculture Commission to review new trade deals to ensure that British agricultural standards are maintained, the Department for International Trade said. The original commission recommended changes for the new TAC, which includes international "agri-food attaches" who will work internationally to boost export opportunities for U.K. farmers and producers while providing "market intelligence and technical expertise," DIT said. A new Food and Drink Export Council will work with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to boost exports from every part of the U.K. Lorand Bartels, international law professional at the University of Cambridge, will chair TAC, which will have a "formal role to inform Parliamentarians and the public about how new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are consistent with UK laws on animal welfare, animal and plant health, and the environment," DIT said. A report will be issued ahead of the signing of every new FTA.
India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade extended the date for the mandatory electronic filing of nonpreferential Certificate of Origin documents through the Common Digital Platform to Oct. 31. All agencies are required to ensure that the on-boarding exercise is completed by then, the DGFT said.
India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade gave three new entities the power to issue Certificates of Origin. The Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs in New Delhi, the Urban Exim Care Association in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and the Federation of Industries & Associations in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, are authorized to issue Certificates of Origin to Appendices and Aayat Niryat Forms of the Foreign Trade Policy, DGFT said an Oct. 18 notice.
The European Union granted Chinese exporter Liling Taichang Ceramics Co.'s request for new exporting producer treatment with regard to the definitive antidumping duties on ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China, the European Commission said. The exporter will receive the 17.9% dumping rate for cooperating companies not included in the sample of the original investigation. The commission found that Liling Taichang was not a company during the period of investigation, precluding its ability to be included in the original investigation sample.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently received a letter from China’s customs agency about Decree 248, which includes upcoming changes to certain customs procedures for overseas producers and customs registrations, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said Oct. 11. Although China hasn’t yet issued implementing regulations for the decree, USDA said the letter includes a “Catalogue of Imported Foods with Historical Trade,” a registration application for overseas manufacturers of imported foods and a sample of a “Competent Authority Conformity Declaration.” USDA said China hasn’t “answered U.S. industry or the U.S. Government questions on the draft measure” but said it expects the measures to be implemented Dec. 31. The letter was originally sent to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing last month.
Vietnam's Customs Enforcement Team, a part of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, discovered hundreds of boxes of smuggled goods Oct. 6, the state-run CustomsNews reported Oct. 8. Imported by Vietseatrust Food Import-Export Trading, the shipment was declared as having more than 21 metric tons of frozen whole blood cockles (clams) originating from Indonesia. An inspection found hundreds of cartons of undeclared goods such as swallow bird nest, dried seahorses, dried snouted pipefish, some bones, animal horns, auto parts and motorcycles, CustomsNews said.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., introduced a bill that would sanction two Chinese health officials that he says chose not to share information early in the pandemic that could have helped authorities respond. His Oct. 5 press release said, "The sanctions would remain in place until they allow an independent, unimpeded investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology as a potential origin for the COVID-19 virus." The bill is a companion to a Republican bill introduced in June with 27 co-sponsors.
The United Kingdom launched an online portal Oct. 1 for exporters to access advice from the U.K.'s export support team, the Department for International Trade said. This “one-stop shop” seeks to make it easier for exporters to access advice and support from the U.K. government on shipping their goods to the rest of Europe. This guidance can aid exporters on questions surrounding rules of origin, recognizing professional qualifications and entering new markets, DIT said.