China’s Ministry of Commerce criticized recent U.S. sanctions targeting companies in China and Hong Kong for helping Iran procure missile parts and technology (see 2306060043), saying the allegations lack “factual basis and due process.” The U.S. should stop its “unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies and individuals,” a ministry spokesperson said June 12, according to an unofficial translation. “China will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.”
China “firmly” opposed the U.S. additions of Chinese entities to its Entity List this week, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, calling on the Biden administration to “immediately stop using military and human rights-related issues as pretexts to politicize, instrumentalize and weaponize trade and tech issues.” The U.S. should “stop abusing export control tools such as entity lists to keep Chinese companies down,” the spokesperson said during a regular press conference June 13. The export controls targeted companies in China and elsewhere for supporting China’s military or the government’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang (see 2306120030).
China imposed quarantine requirements on edible peas and lentils from Kazakhstan and heat-treated beef from Pakistan, the General Administration of Customs said in two notices, according to an unofficial translation.
Brazil recently added 628 items and removed 36 items from its list of foreign capital goods and information technology and telecommunications goods subject to duty-free treatment under its Ex‑Tarifario regime, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported June 9. The 564 added capital goods are classified in Harmonized System chapters 84, 85, 86, 87, 89 and 90. The 64 added IT and telecom goods are classified in chapters 84, 85 and 90. Duty-free treatment lasts through Dec. 31, 2025.
The EU General Court issued a series of four opinions June 7 rejecting applications for delisting from sanctioned Belarusian individuals. The court said the European Council permissibly gave sufficient reasons to list the individuals and said the sanctions were not disproportionate. The individuals are Belarusian businessman Aleksandr Vasilevich Shakutin and university officials Aliaksandr Bakhanovich, Siarhei Rubnikovich and Siarhei Skryba.
China imposed inspection and quarantine requirements for certain wild aquatic products from Kazakhstan on June 2, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. The requirements apply to aquatic resources and their canned products that live freely in natural waters, excluding live aquatic animals and reproductive materials of aquatic animals and plants, along with appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department June 7 issued the latest version of signatures of agency officers authorized to sign and issue Delivery Verification Certificates, and import and export licenses covering strategic commodities.
China leads in a range of technologies that will be “highly relevant” to technology sharing capabilities under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) security partnership, including hypersonics, electronic warfare and autonomous underwater vehicles, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said this week. ASPI, which released the data as part of an update to its critical technology tracker, which ranks leaders in various advanced technologies, said AUKUS related critical technologies “are a two-horse race between China and the US,” but China holds a "convincing" lead in 19 of the 23 technologies newly evaluated by the think tank and "has built the foundations to position itself as the world’s leading science and technology superpower."
China this week criticized the U.S. Treasury Department's recent sanctions on seven Chinese entities and six individuals for supplying Mexican drug cartels with equipment used to make illegal drugs, including fentanyl (see 2305300017). According to an unofficial translation, the Ministry of Commerce said China has always strictly enforced drug control and has worked with the U.S. to "solve the fentanyl issue." The sanctions are an "attempt to confuse" and "mislead the public," the ministry said, adding that it will work to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.
The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance June 11 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time and June 25 4 a.m. to 12 p.m., it said June 5. Singapore Customs advises users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to the usual 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday maintenance.