China criticized the U.S. move to add Chinese companies to its Entity List last week (see 2012180039), saying it unfairly suppresses Chinese industry and is an abuse of export controls. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged the U.S. to reverse the measures. “China firmly opposes this and will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” the spokesperson said Dec. 19, according to an unofficial translation of a release of a press conference transcript.
China released details for its upcoming free trade agreement with Mauritius, which it said will take effect Jan. 1, 2021, according to an unofficial translation of a Dec. 16 notice. The notice contains technical provisions of the deal, including measures surrounding rules of origin.
China’s General Administration of Customs issued rules related to inspections for certain mechanical and electrical products, a Dec. 11 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes “implementation rules” for pre-shipment inspections of imported used mechanical and electrical products, which will take effect Jan. 1, China said. The rules are designed to “strengthen and standardize” customs management of the inspections, China said.
Burma recently reduced its list of products that need an import license, removing the requirement from 689 tariff lines, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Dec. 9. Those goods span a range of agricultural products, including buttermilk and cream, whey, butter, certain sausages, certain fish, certain waters and coffee-based drinks and certain “non-aerated beverages.” Despite the license requirement removals, USDA stressed that more than 3,900 tariff lines, including the “majority” of U.S. agricultural exports to Burma, still require a license.
China will impose temporary countervailing measures on wine imports from Australia, a Dec. 10 Ministry of Commerce notice said, according to an unofficial translation. China said its wine industry has been subject to “substantial damages” due to Australian wine subsidies. Beginning Dec. 11, Chinese importers must pay Chinese customs authorities at 6.3% to 6.4% rates for certain wine imports, the notice said. In a separate move, China recently imposed steep import taxes on Australian wines after saying they were being unfairly dumped (see 2011300022).
China said it opposed the U.S. decision this week to sanctions Chinese companies for transporting North Korean coal (see 2012080027). China said it is in line with all United Nations Security Council resolutions. “China firmly opposes any country citing its domestic laws to impose unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ over Chinese entities and individuals,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Dec. 9, according to a transcript it provided of a regular press conference. “We will firmly safeguard the legitimate and legal rights and interests of the Chinese entities and individuals.”
China said it will retaliate for U.S. sanctions against 14 National People’s Congress Standing Committee officials (see 2012070024), calling the moves damaging to U.S.-China relations. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the sanctions were imposed with “vicious intent” and urged the U.S. to reverse them. “We have this solemn message for the United States: The Chinese government is firmly determined to oppose U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs, to uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and to implement ‘one country, two systems,’” the spokesperson said Dec. 8. “In response to the egregious act by the U.S. side, China will take firm and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.”
China temporarily suspended poultry imports from Belgium due to an “avian influenza” outbreak in one of the country’s commercial farms, a Dec. 7 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. All illegal imports of poultry or poultry products from Belgium will be returned or destroyed, China said. The suspension took effect Dec. 7.
China will allow imports of Mongolian flour, the country’s General Administration of Customs said in a Dec. 7 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes quarantine and inspections requirements for the imports.
China's attempts at using economic tools, such as export controls on rare earth minerals or punishing imports from Australia, have only been somewhat successful, according to Maximilian Ernst, the speaker on the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies webinar Dec. 7, called “How to Respond to China’s Carrots and Sticks? Prospects of a Transatlantic Response to Chinese Economic Coercion.” Ernst is researching Chinese coercion for a Ph.D.