India will establish “remote, anonymous assessments” of imported goods at all its ports as part of an effort to speed up customs clearance and reduce interaction between customs officials and import agents, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 6. The system, which begins Oct. 31, will prioritize remote and paperless customs clearance procedures, self-registration of goods by imports, automated clearance for bills of entry and the digitization of customs documents, the report said. It will allow documents to be assessed remotely by officers on a randomized basis, “ensuring both objectivity and the standardisation of entry criteria across the country,” HKTDC said. India decided to roll out the system countrywide after successfully testing it at ports in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai earlier this year, the report said.
China recently announced procedures for submitting automobile and motorcycle export license applications in 2021, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 6. Manufacturers must submit completed application forms, including details of “all their overseas after-sales repair centres and overseas workshops,” to their local commerce department, the report said. Manufacturers of “all-terrain vehicles” must also submit “quality management certificates” and other “relevant” certification to the importing jurisdiction.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations officially implemented its self-certification scheme for origin of goods to help streamline customs procedures across member countries, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 5. The scheme will allow any ASEAN company that is approved as a “certified exporter” to self-certify the origin of its goods, the HKTDC said. Under this process, traders will not be required to obtain a certificate of origin from their local customs office, which will save time and money, the report said.
Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance Oct. 18, 4 a.m. to noon local time, an Oct. 2 notice said. 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. maintenance on Sundays.
Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department issued a notice Sept. 29 reminding companies of its license for traders who “frequently” import or export “strategic commodities of relatively less sensitivity.” The “Approval-in-Principle Arrangement for Bulk Users of Strategic Commodities Licensing Service” streamlines and expedites processing of license applications, the agency said. The notice outlines the application process, conditions for approval and which items are eligible for the license.
Singapore Customs issued a Sept. 28 advisory on combating money laundering from illegal wildlife trade. The guidance outlines “risk indicators” for traders who may be dealing with illegal wildlife traffickers and details how to report suspicious transactions.
India announced new import conditions on certain steel products, according to a Sept. 28 notice from the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The change requires steel traders to register under the country’s Steel Import Monitoring System before importing steel products that are classified under all codes of chapters 72, 73 and 86 of the Harmonized System of 2017, the notice said.
China announced antidumping duties on imports of Japanese and U.S. optical fiber preforms, China’s customs authority said in a Sept. 24 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes declaration requirements for the imports. The duties took effect Sept. 26.
China began an antidumping investigation into imports of U.S. polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a Sept. 25 notice, according to an unofficial translation. China said it expects to complete the investigation before Sept. 25, 2021, but may extend the review another six months if there are “special circumstances.”
Vietnam’s customs authority recently issued guidance on an exemption for import duties and value-added taxes on items intended for “factory constructions,” KPMG said in a Sept. 22 post. An “export and processing” company that imports certain factory construction goods but then subleases a portion of the factory to another business is not eligible for duty exemptions on the imports for use in the factory construction, KPMG said. In addition, if the export and processing company continues to use the factory for its own business at the end of the sublease period, it cannot apply for import duty or VAT refunds.