A Japanese trade official said Japan's subsidies to diversify and reshore supply chains have already spurred plans for domestic factories for semiconductors, battery components for electric vehicles, aircraft engine parts, household disinfectants, medicines, protective gowns and chemicals.
India will require registration of copper and aluminum imports under the Non-Ferrous Metal Import Monitoring System, according to a March 31 trade notice from the Director General of Foreign Trade. Specifically, imports under Chapter 74 and 76 of the India Trade Clarification based on the Harmonized System of Coding will require registration under NFMIMS. Chapter 74 includes copper and copper articles, while Chapter 76 includes aluminum and articles of aluminum.
The Philippines is requiring its trade regulatory government agencies to use TradeNet, the country’s online trade processing platform for import and export permits and applications, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said March 30. The mandate is expected to “slash” processing times and simplify permit procedures, HKTDC said. The requirement now goes beyond agencies that traditionally handle trade, such as government entities that oversee logistics and port operations, the retail sector, freeport zones, and agriculture and food. Agencies that don't comply with the mandate may face “administrative sanctions,” the report said.
Japan Customs added two customs authorities to its list of authorized entities capable of approving preferential tariff treatment under the nation's Generalized System of Preferences for Afghanistan and North Macedonia, the agency announced in a March 30 notice. Now the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment will be able to approve claims in the Central Asian nation (listed as Islamic Republic of Afghanistan), and the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia will do the same in that Eastern European country.
India's Director General of Foreign Trade established an online filing portal for Advance Authorizations of imports and exports, the agency announced in a March 30 trade notice. The portal can be used for “Redemption, Surrender, Duty Paid Regularization, Bond Waiver or the Clubbing of Advance Authorizations,” and they can be submitted on the DGFT website.
India's Director General of Foreign Trade extended the deadline for implementation of a component of the Track and Trace system for export of pharmaceuticals and drug consignments for both small scale industry (SSI) and non-SSI manufactured drugs until Jan. 4, 2022, the DGFT announced in a March 30 public notice. Implementation is delayed for the system's component dealing with maintaining the Parent-Child relationship in the levels of packaging and their movement in their supply chain and their uploading on the Central Portal.
China placed retaliatory sanctions on U.S. and Canadian officials for their roles in promoting action against China for its human rights violations in the Xinjiang region against the Uyghur Muslim minority population (see 2103220034), a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced March 27. China levied an asset freeze and travel ban against U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Gayle Manchin, USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins and Canadian Member of Parliament Michael Chong. Sanctions were also placed against Canada's House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. China maintains the U.S. and Canadian sanctions are “based on rumors and disinformation.”
The Hai Duong Customs Branch in Vietnam sent guidance to local banks on how to properly submit customs payments amid processing issues between the banks and customs agencies, CustomsNews, the mouthpiece for Vietnam Customs, reported March 28.
China and Iran signed an agreement to chart the next 25 years of their bilateral relationship that includes commitments to enhance fossil fuel purchases and investment in energy industries. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has been in the works since 2016, was signed in Tehran on March 27 by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Expanding on a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening investment cooperation, both sides committed to greater investment in “banking, mutual investment, financing, mining, transportation, communications, space, manufacturing industries, developing of ports, upgrading and expansion of railway networks, express railway systems, agriculture, water resources, protection of environment, food security, fighting desertification, water desalination, use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and renewable energies.”
Popular clothing brands that condemned the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China's Xinjiang regions are facing a backlash from China, which called the accusations outright lies. Swedish multinational clothing retailer H&M is facing large boycott calls from Chinese citizens, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said March 25, according to a transcript of a news conference. Calls for boycotts are also growing against Nike, Adidas, Burberry, Uniqlo and Lacoste, the AP reported, after state media criticized the brands for their Xinjiang comments. The popular brands have also seen endorsement deals nixed. Burberry lost a brand ambassador in Chinese award-winning actress Zhou Dongyu, Reuters reported.