Vietnam will review its agricultural production and focus on producing “key” goods as the coronavirus pandemic slashes its agricultural trade, according to a March 16 report from CustomsNews, the mouthpiece for Vietnam Customs. The virus has had a “direct impact” on the country’s agricultural sector, reducing its exports by nearly 3% and imports by nearly 7% compared with the same period last year, the report said. To mitigate the impact, the country will try to focus on agricultural production for “key export products with favorable market signals,” such as rice, fruit trees, dragon fruit, durian and passion fruit. The country also hopes to diversify its export markets and “gradually” reduce dependence on any single market.

Shanghai recently introduced measures to improve its trade and customs environment, including an expedited two-step customs declaration for import and a “wider application” of “pre-arrival declaration” for export items at the city’s ports, according to a March 17 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The two-step declaration, which has been adopted by Chinese customs authorities in other regions (see 1910230051 and 1908160016), allows companies to make full declarations after picking up the imported goods. Under the wider application for pre-arrival declarations, companies can make customs declarations up to three days before the goods arrive at the customs supervision site, the report said, on the condition that the goods are “ready,” the container is loaded and all electronic data has been submitted to customs. Shanghai will also introduce a trial period for “ship-side delivery of export items” and “ship-side pick-up of imported goods” to speed up customs clearance, the HKTDC said.

As the coronavirus outbreak continues, Chinese authorities have approached companies committing trade violations with more leniency than in the past, according to a March 17 report from Reuters. China has rolled out several measures to forgive violations, including a reduction of penalties for delayed import declarations (see 2003120019), and has relaxed other regulations, such as waiving import duties on emergency vehicles and medical supplies (see 2002140028). Reuters said the relaxed penalties have also applied to forged value-added tax invoices, where China has only issued warnings instead of more severe punishments. China has told its authorities to avoid detaining or arresting business operators who are “not dangerous to society and who show remorse after giving themselves up,” Reuters said.

Australia announced a series of measures to support companies impacted by the coronavirus, including delays of penalties and quicker access to refunds of Goods and Services Taxes, according to a March 12 notice. Australia will allow companies to opt in to a monthly GST reporting cycle instead of a quarterly cycle, which will help them receive refunds faster, the notice said. Australia will also remit any interest and penalties relating to tax liabilities, incurred on or after Jan. 23. Australia also said it will be providing support to companies, who should contact the government to “discuss relief options.” The Australian Taxation Office “will work shoulder-to-shoulder with businesses to assist them through this difficult period and do what we can to ease the pressure.”

India issued several changes to tax rates on the supply of goods and services, impacting cell phones, footwear, textiles, fertilizers, matches, certain services and more, India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said March 15. The changes, made during a March 14 Goods and Services Tax Council meeting and set to take effect April 1, include raises to the GST rate on mobile phones and “specified parts” from 12% to 18%. India also increased the GST rate on matches to 12%, instead of a rate of 5% on handmade matches and 18% on other matches. The changes also include “measures for trade facilitation,” include interest on delays in payment of GST, and applications for “revocation of cancellation” of registrations.

China’s Commerce Ministry recently launched a “Public Information Service Platform for Cultural Trade” to guide China’s cultural export “enterprises” during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a March 16 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The platform also provides updates on coronavirus policy changes relating to trade and tax measures and contains country guides for exporters.

Hong Kong importers are looking to buy ox gallstones, a cattle byproduct, potentially creating “huge export potential” for U.S. beef exporters, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released March 12. Ox gallstones are in high demand due to low domestic supply, the report said, and are used in Chinese herbal medicine and sell for high prices. Ox gallstones are not regarded as food and are not subject to Hong Kong regulations covering food imports, the report said.

China’s Guangzhou customs operation recently introduced new measures for online customs facilitation by “administrative counterparts” as the coronavirus outbreak continues, according to a March 13 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The counterparts may apply for “various” customs approvals online and can use the district’s “Internet-plus Customs special government service platform” to process 15 service items, including “scientific research equipment sharing, and cargo manifest amendment and withdrawal,” the report said. They may also use the agency’s WeChat platform to complete other customs service applications.

China’s Commerce Ministry held calls with the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China last week to discuss trade and business issues related to the coronavirus outbreak, according to an unofficial translation of a March 13 ministry notice. China said the calls, which included more than 200 member companies, were intended to address any problems for companies facing delays in resuming production and trade in China, which the ministry said should resume “as soon as possible.” The sides also discussed China’s economy, “corporate assistance policies, labor shortages, inadequate epidemic prevention materials, and logistics.”

China’s Commerce Ministry said the coronavirus pandemic will have an “unavoidable” impact on its supply chains and the global economy but reassured industry that the changes will not be permanent. “Global economic and trade growth is under pressure. The resumption of production and new orders by Chinese foreign trade companies will also be affected,” a ministry official said, according to an unofficial translation of transcript of a March 12 press conference. “The supply chain of the global industrial chain will be disrupted to some extent.”