Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo maintenance from 4 a.m. to noon on Oct. 20, it said in an Oct. 3 notice. During the downtime, the only applications that will not be processed are those involving “amendment, cancellation, refund and stock related permit applications,” the notice said. Singapore is advising traders to submit applications before Oct. 20 “to minimise disruptions to your business operations.”

Laos removed inspection checkpoints along main roads from its largest province to “expedite the movement of freight transport,” according to an Oct. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The checkpoints, removed from the Savannakhet province, were slowing down cargo movement, serving as “an additional layer of red tape” and were used by local officials to impose “informal fees” on freight companies, businesses told the Laos government, HKTDC said. Although “general inspections” have been eliminated, certain Laotian officials can still inspect freight transport vehicles if they suspect illegal activity, the report said.

Japan’s legislature will review the U.S.-Japan trade agreement today, Japan’s foreign minister told Nikkei, adding that Japan has “no objections” to the deal taking effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Indonesia’s tax agency issued technical guidance for the value-added tax treatment of temporary imports of goods used to provide “taxable services from overseas,” KPMG said in an Oct. 1 post. Under the guidelines, the taxpayer had to have submitted income tax returns from the last two fiscal years and VAT returns for the last three fiscal periods, the post said. The applicant must then submit a VAT exemption application to Indonesia’s tax agency for acceptance or rejection, which must be provided within three business days, KPMG said. If the application is rejected, the applicant must pay all VATs and luxury goods taxes on the goods within one month after receiving the rejection. Penalties for late tax payments “can result in a penalty assessment equal to 2% per month,” from the time of import until the date of payment, KPMG said.

India updated goods and services tax rates on a range of items and introduced policies to promote exports, according to a notice from India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Japan’s External Trade Organization issued an “Overseas Successful Collection of Case Studies” detailing Japanese companies that are increasing exports and business in foreign countries, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in an Oct. 1 press release, according to an unofficial translation. The case studies are based on interviews with 100 Japanese companies “that worked on overseas expansion,” the press release said. The case studies are available for download.

The State Council Information Office of China released a white paper titled “China and the World in the New Era” on Sept. 28, detailing what it said is its new “trade and investment liberalization” regulations, increased protection of intellectual property rights, its additional free trade zones and more. The paper also includes a section titled “China will never seek hegemony,” saying it does not want to “threaten, challenge or replace any other country” in its process of becoming stronger through its own development, but says other countries should not expect China to “trade its core interests or to accept anything that is damaging to China’s own sovereignty, security and development interests.”

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement is expected to be finalized this year, China’s vice minister of commerce said, adding that talks are “accelerating” and little obstacles remain.

Japan’s trade minister said the recently signed U.S.-Japan trade agreement is “powerful” and lauded its reduced tariff measures, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript of a Sept. 27 press conference. “I think it was of great significance that we broadly eliminated protectionist measures that would distort the global supply chain,” Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry ‎Isshu Sugawara said. He said the agreement will take effect after it is reviewed by Japan’s “Legal Bureau” and approved by Japan’s legislature, echoing U.S. comments that the two sides plan to conduct more trade negotiations on a comprehensive agreement.

Japan said it allowed exports of hydrogen fluoride to South Korea in August, disputing what it called “incorrect” media reports that said Japan stopped all such the exports, according to a Sept. 27 press release from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japan said “certain amounts of controlled hydrogen fluoride” have been released for export to South Korea, and that it will grant export licenses for fluorinated polyimide, resists and hydrogen fluoride if the exports of those items of concern are “verified as legitimate civil transactions.” In July, Japan added restrictions on exports to South Korea of the three chemicals commonly used in smart chips and other high tech goods (see 1907010020).