India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade placed restrictions on the import of mosquito killer rackets and melon seeds in two April 26 trade notices. Mosquito killer rackets, or electrical or electric “zapper” devices, of Harmonized System codes 85167920 and 85167990 will no longer be allowed in the country if the cost, insurance and freight value is below 121 rupees per racket; and melon seeds of HS code 12077090 are now subject to Policy Condition 4 of chapter 12 of ITC. The policy condition is as follows: “Import permitted for sowing without a licence subject to the new Policy on Seed Development, 1988 and in accordance with import permit granted under Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003.”
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka committed to banning the import of chemical fertilizers due to pollution and human health concerns, his office announced in an April 22 news release. The negative consequences for lakes, canals, groundwater and the spread of non-communicable diseases outweigh the usefulness of fertilizing for farming, Rajapaksa said, according to the release. “To produce a healthy and productive citizenry, the government must ensure the right of the people to access a non-toxic and balanced diet. President Rajapaksa said that measures will be taken to ensure that only organic fertilizer would be used in the agriculture sector in the country in the future,” the statement read. Rajapaksa made the commitment at a meeting with heads of state corporations and statutory boards.
India's Director General of Foreign trade went live with a COVID-19 help desk for international trade items, the agency announced in an April 26 trade notice. The help desk will be used to monitor the status of exports and imports and "difficulties being faced by trade stakeholders" relating to a recent rise of coronavirus cases in the nation. It can assist with matters including licensing issues, customs clearance delays, import/export documentation issues and banking problems.
China is waiving import duties for importers of certain civil aviation maintenance equipment through 2030, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 23. The measure, announced last month, will exempt import duties from aviation manufacturers, companies and airlines when they import aviation maintenance equipment that “domestic producers cannot produce or meet performance requirements on,” HKTDC said. China’s customs authorities will also “no longer carry out follow-up supervision of goods” on those exempted imports.
China temporarily suspended poultry imports from a region in Bolivia due to an outbreak of Newcastle disease, an April 19 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. All illegal poultry products from La Paz, Bolivia, will be returned or destroyed, China said.
China is now allowing imports of “fresh beans” from Laos, the country’s General Administration of Customs said in an April 19 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes quarantine and inspections requirements for the imports.
Australia and Canada reach a settlement over a World Trade Organization dispute that will remove “discriminatory” Canadian measures against imports of Australian wine, Australia said April 22. Australia said Quebec will begin a phased removal remove of trade barriers that were “longstanding concerns” of the Australian wine industry, which will now be allowed to “fairly compete for Canadian customers,” said Dan Tehan, Australia’s trade, tourism and investment minister. Canada lifted restrictions last year on Australian wine imports entering Ontario and Nova Scotia (see 2007270018).
Chinese tech giant Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, announced it is launching daily cargo flights from Singapore to Hainan, China's southernmost point, Bloomberg reported April 22. Hainan is a trading hot spot due to its duty-free shopping and commitments to becoming a free trade zone and free trade port. Cainiao also plans to open additional cargo routes including to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, Bloomberg said. In the longer term, European cargo routes are to be expected as well.
Singapore Customs in an April 23 trade notice released a list of common compliance errors made during declarations of permits, carnets, voluntary disclosures, free trade agreement rules, rules of origin and facts for motor vehicles. Such errors include inaccuracies in transhipment permit declarations for LCL containers moving from one free trade zone to another or wrong exchange rates used in GST payment declarations.
The Australian federal government scrapped a Victoria state government memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement with China as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement on April 21, Bloomberg reported April 22. The move could further enflame tensions between the two nations that have had a chilly relationship since Australia called for an independent probe into the origins of COVID-19, Bloomberg said. The Australian government also tossed Victoria state agreements with Iran and Syria. “I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations,” Payne said."