Singapore Customs on Jan. 21 issued a range of updated trade statistics covering the past several years. The statistics outline yearly and monthly duty collections, the number of yearly permits and licenses issued by the agency, and yearly enforcement figures for customs violations.
China warned President Joe Biden not to follow the same adversarial path that the Trump administration took on China policies, urging the new administration to help strengthen bilateral relations in an “objective and rational manner.” Biden should “learn from the Trump administration’s lessons where they carried out the wrong policies on China,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Jan. 26. The countries have “broad common interests and shoulder special, major responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and stability.” China’s comments came one day after the White House said it views China as a strategic competitor and will work to counter the country’s illegal trade practices (see 2101250049).
China updated its safeguard duties for certain imports of Australian fresh and frozen beef and certain dairy products, its customs office said Jan. 25, according to an unofficial translation. The notice contains a new import volume “trigger level” in 2021 for each of the products, which are listed under eight tariff lines.
South Asia is becoming an increasingly attractive export market for U.S. bulk agricultural goods, especially for U.S. cotton, nuts, soybeans and dairy products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Jan. 22. U.S. agricultural exports to the region have grown 85% over the five years from 2015 to 2019, with cotton exports up 180%. USDA said it expects the trend to continue due to the region’s growing population, “sizable young demographic” and rising demand for “packaged, protein-rich, high-value food products, fresh fruits and tree nuts.” Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are in the South Asia region.
The Philippines recently increased import duties on certain vehicles to protect the domestic vehicle manufacturing industry, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 22. The country will impose an additional safeguard duty on certain passenger cars and “light commercial” vehicles beginning Jan. 20 for a period of at least 200 days, the report said. An auto trade group applauded the move, but importers and carmakers said the increased duty will reduce sales and increase vehicle prices, the HKTDC said. The safeguard duty equates to $1,457 in U.S. dollars per imported passenger car and $2,287 for every imported light commercial vehicle.
China temporarily suspended poultry imports from Senegal due to an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in that country, a Jan. 19 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. All illegal imports of poultry or poultry products from Senegal will be returned or destroyed, China said.
Vietnam recently launched an online platform that provides information and details on the country’s free trade agreements, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 20. The portal will serve as an “online reference tool” covering rules for trading with Vietnam, including information on import duties, rules of origin, technical standards and other trade restrictions, the report said. It will also provide overseas traders with market updates and information on import and export procedures.
India revised its export policies for certain “diagnostic kits and their components/laboratory reagents,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said Jan. 19. It set export quotas for certain diagnostic kits for the period December 2020 until February 2021: 66 million (660 lakh) for exports of “VTM Kits,” 40 million (400 lakh) for “RNA Extraction Kits” and 28 million (280 lakh) for “RT-PCR Kits.” The notice also outlines application procedures for exports of the kits.
China failed to meet its 2020 purchase commitments under the phase one U.S.-China trade deal, buying just 58% of the $172 billion worth of goods it had pledged to buy, Bloomberg reported Jan. 21. In total, China met 60% of its target for manufactured goods, about 64% for agricultural goods and 39% for energy-related goods, the report said. Although the Trump administration frequently touted China’s purchase milestones under the deal and expressed optimism that China would meet its targets, trade experts were skeptical, particularly due to supply chain difficulties cause by the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2010230065, 2002120043 and 2003160031). The White House and the Chinese Embassy didn’t comment.
The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, it said Jan. 15. The agency advised users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to the usual 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday maintenance.