Japan recently rejected South Korea’s request to allow it back on Japan’s white list of trusted trading partners, according to an unofficial translation of an Aug. 21 report from South Korean daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo. The report, citing an article recently published by Japan’s Sankei Shimbun, said Japan rejected the South Korea request at a foreign ministers meeting held in Cambodia earlier this month.
China imported its first batch of avocados from Kenya this month, a move Chinese officials believe is the start of a plan that will significantly increase imports from Africa, the South China Morning Post reported Aug. 21. The Kenyan avocados, which were granted market access by China’s customs agency earlier this year (see 2206030016), will help to “further boost the economic ties between the two countries,” according to a report from Xinhua, a Chinese state-run news agency. A Chinese official said the exports have “huge potential,” the report said. A Kenyan official said the new market access agreement “is a monumental feat that will boost our economy and benefit key players across the avocado value chain including farmers.”
Taiwan is encouraging exporters to alert its Bureau of Foreign Trade if they encounter certain issues shipping goods to China, the bureau said last week. China’s customs agency has reportedly detained goods originating in Taiwan if the items aren’t labeled as "Made in Taiwan, China,” the foreign trade bureau said. Beijing objects to any insinuation on product labeling that suggests Taiwan is a separate territory and not a part of China (see 2208080026). Taiwan said exporters with detained goods in China should provide the bureau with “relevant information, such as the customs ports, importers, customs brokers, and descriptions of goods.” Then, the Taiwan Customs agency will contact China's Customs to deal with the situation.
China’s General Administration of Customs this week issued phytosanitary requirements for imported fresh pineapples from Indonesia, according to an unofficial translation of a notice. The notice also outlines inspection and quarantine requirements for the imports.
India delayed the effective date for its new export policy for certain types of rice, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in an Aug. 17 notice. The new export policy will now take effect Jan. 1, 2023, instead of the previous effective date of July 1, 2022. The policy will require exporters of the rice destined to certain European countries outside the EU to first obtain an export inspection certificate from the government before the shipments can leave the country.
China and Russia this month held a meeting on economic and trade cooperation, at which the two sides discussed “developing bilateral trade,” according to an unofficial translation of a Chinese Ministry of Commerce notice. China-Russia trade has “maintained a sound growth” since the beginning of the year, the notice said, adding that the two countries should continue to “consolidate trade of key goods, strengthen economic cooperation and trade between small and medium-sized enterprises and local regions,” and “deepen trade and investment facilitation.” The meeting comes as much of the Western world, including the U.S. and the European Union, imposes sanctions and other trade restrictions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Pakistan recently lifted its import ban on non-essential and luxury items, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 15. The ban will no longer apply to a range of items, including dry and fresh fruits, decoration items, chocolate, furniture, musical instruments, cigarettes, cosmetics and more, the report said. Some import restrictions will still apply to mobile phones, “completely built‑up automobiles” and home appliances.
The Singapore Customs TradeNet will undergo system maintenance Aug. 28 from 4 a.m. to noon local time, it said Aug. 12. 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.
India recently extended the deadline by which all products labeled as vegan must comply with new import requirements, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report last week. The deadline was extended for six months until Jan. 26, and will require the imports to comply with a new clause that specifies “no vegan food products shall be imported except with a certificate issued by the recognized authorities of the exporting countries in the format as specified by the Authority is accepted,” USDA said.
Huawei’s revenue fell nearly 6% in the first half of this year compared with the same time last year, the latest sign that U.S. export restrictions are hurting the Chinese company’s operations, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 12. The company reported a revenue of 301.6 billion yuan, or about $44.7 billion, the WSJ said, a figure that has been falling since Huawei was added to the Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2020.