A Chinese technology company on the Commerce Department’s Entity List received an exemption from Commerce to buy U.S. goods to counter the coronavirus outbreak, according to a stock filing released Feb. 24. The artificial intelligence company, iFlyTek, which was placed on the Entity List in October (see 1910070076), said it applied for and was granted a “medical material exemption” from Commerce, according to an unofficial translation. The company said the exemption allows it to purchase U.S. medical supplies, along with other goods. A Bureau of Industry and Security spokesperson declined to comment.

China recently issued a series of measures to encourage foreign trade companies to resume business as the country continues battling the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Feb. 25 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Among several changes, customs authorities will simplify business registration and filing procedures, and expedite inspections and releases of imported production equipment and raw materials, including the use of “machine-assisted inspection” and “out-of-box audits.” China will also expand imports of agricultural products by increasing “the number of countries and registered companies with access to China’s market” as well as the variety of agricultural goods that can be imported. Other measures simplify and relax procedures surrounding exports, quarantine examinations and approvals, trade documentation deadlines and administrative penalties.

China is not requiring consignors and consignees to be present during customs inspections of imports and exports in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to a Feb. 24 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The measure is also aimed at increasing the speed of inspections and releases of goods, the report said.

China’s General Administration of Customs will allow imports of U.S. fresh potatoes that meet certain inspection and quarantine requirements, according to an unofficial translation of a Feb. 21 notice. The notice includes an attachment with the specific requirements that all U.S. potato imports must meet.

China lifted import restrictions on certain pet foods containing “ruminant ingredients,” according to an unofficial translation of a Feb. 19 notice from China’s General Administration of Customs. The agency said it will release inspection and quarantine requirements for pet food imports in a separate notice.

Singapore Customs is allowing certain dutiable goods to be temporarily stored in free-trade zones for up to 30 days before being moved to a licensed warehouse or factory, according to a Feb. 21 circular. The change will mainly impact liquor and tobacco products, which were previously not allowed to be stored in FTZs, the circular said. The change is aimed at improving “the quick turnaround for tran[s]shipment and encourage entrepot trade,” Singapore said. The company will impose penalties for traders who fail to move the goods to a “licensed premises” after being stored in the FTZ for 30 days.

Japan and South Korea will hold another export control policy dialogue March 10 in Seoul, according to an unofficial translation of a Feb. 21 notice from Japan. During the dialogue, the two countries will “proceed with discussions to contribute to resolving the pending issues” and seek “further improvements in export control systems and operations,” the notice said. The countries have held a series of dialogues (see 1912160011) and have been locked in a trade dispute stemming from Japan's export restrictions on South Korea imposed last year (see 1907010020).

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.