Two Japanese auto trade associations and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry launched a council to address coronavirus impacts on the country’s auto supply chain, according to an unofficial translation of a Feb. 20 ministry notice. The “New Coronavirus Countermeasures Automobile Council” will help Japanese industry and government share information on “anti-epidemic measures, supply chain and logistics” with “a view to ensuring that measures can be taken to prepare for the possible impact of the new coronavirus on the automotive supply chain in the future.”
China recently introduced plans to streamline imports of auto parts by allowing companies in eight cities to take “direct delivery” of the imports and arrange on-site inspections by customs officers at a later date, according to a Feb. 21 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The on-site inspections may also include “random checks,” the report said. The measure was introduced for Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Ningbo, and covers imports of certain seat belts, sunroofs, brakes and parts of tractors, brakes and parts of “large passenger vehicles” and “other parts and accessories of bodies (including cabs),” the report said.
Vietnam introduced tax exemptions for certain imports related to coronavirus prevention, according to a Feb. 20 report from CustomsNews, the mouthpiece for Vietnam Customs. The exemptions, announced this month, apply to companies importing raw materials to make virus-fighting goods, the notice said, such as raw materials used to make medical masks. If companies import raw materials using the tax exemption but do not use the goods for purposes related to preventing the spread of the coronavirus, they must submit a new customs declaration and pay “all taxes” on the import, the notice said.
While auto parts, LCD panels and pharmaceuticals are most concentrated in the Chinese province where the coronavirus epidemic began, a recent Congressional Research Service report noted that quarantines are affecting port staffing, which can affect all shipments from China. “Business reopening has been uneven across sectors and locations in China. Many firms are awaiting government approvals to reopen and are facing difficulties in meeting new operating requirements, such as providing masks for employees,” the report said. Because passenger air traffic has been curtailed to and from China, there is much less space for air cargo shipments.
Indonesia officially ratified its free trade agreement with Australia (see 2001220042) and the two countries have discussed a 100-day implementation plan for the deal to take effect during the first half of 2020, according to a Feb. 18 post from KPMG. Under the deal, more than 99% of Australian agricultural goods to Indonesia will benefit from duty-free access or “significant preferential treatment,” KPMG said. The deal will also “virtually” eliminate tariffs on Australian exports of energy goods, and Indonesia will “guarantee the automatic issuance of import permits” for Australian agricultural and steel goods. In addition, Australia will eliminate all duties on Indonesian goods, KPMG said.
Japan’s trade minister said Japan has a “growing concern” that exports of advanced technologies are increasingly being used for military purposes, and called on Asian countries to tighten their controls of proliferation-related exports, according to an unofficial translation of a Feb. 19 notice from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The remarks came during Tokyo’s Asia Export Control Seminar earlier this month, which included more than 30 countries and hundreds of government and industry representatives. In opening remarks at the seminar, Japan’s minister called on Asian countries to “properly manage microtechnology” and “increase the effectiveness of export controls in order to respond to internationally responsible microtechnology procurement activities.”
Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time on March 8, Singapore said in a Feb. 17 notice. The agency is advising users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to usual maintenance on Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Japan will allow traders to renew import and export documents and authorizations if they expire due to delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a Feb. 14 notice, according to an unofficial translation. Traders can apply to extend import and export approval certificates, import and export licenses, and customs quota certificates, Japan said. Japan said it is also automatically extending the deadline for traders to meet “conditions attached to the export license” for shipments to China. The country asked traders to fulfill their shipments and orders “as soon as possible.”
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released guidance and resources to help traders benefit from the Australia-Peru free trade agreement, according to a Feb. 11 notice. The deal, which took effect Feb. 11, removes trade barriers and will allow Australian exporters of beef, sugar and dairy “historic access” to the Peruvian market, the notice said. Australia published a list of resources to help companies understand the outcomes of the deal, a guide to importing and exporting under the agreement, an online portal and a guide for doing business in Peru.
China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. decision to formally charge Huawei with theft of U.S. technology and racketeering (see 2002130045), saying the U.S. has “no proof of any wrongdoing.” The ministry urged the U.S. to “immediately stop” hurting Chinese businesses. The indictment is “economic bullying,” a ministry spokesperson said during a Feb. 14 press conference. “It severely undermines the reputation and credibility of the US, as well as the interests of American companies,” the spokesperson said, according to a transcript in English provided by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.