China's ambassador said that if the Senate's China package or the EAGLE Act that passed the House become law, " they will hijack China-U.S. relations and gravely damage America's own interests." Qin Gang, who spoke at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Aug. 31, said these bills were formed out of misunderstanding China, disinformation about China, and "no knowledge."

Vietnam Customs' Northern Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Team seized four import shipments of COVID-19 rapid test kits, finding them to have been illegally brought into the country, state-run CustomsNews said. A physical inspection of the shipments at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Aug. 27 led to the seizure of the test kits along with 330 boxes of Arbidol medicine, marketed as a cure for the virus. Arbidol is used to treat influenza in Russia and China. The goods were imported from Russia. The items These are subject to conditional imports, but lacked proper permits. Customs agents also seized 5,980 packs of Heets e-cigarettes and 60 bottles of undeclared foreign alcohol, which also lacked proper permits, the report said.

India’s new duty refund scheme for imports that are later exported will cover more than 8,000 export items, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 1. Certain manufacturers can use “any such credit” to pay the basic customs duties associated with the imported goods or “to pass on to other importers,” HKTDC said. The tax refund will range from 0.5% to 4.3% of the export value, and will apply to the gems and jewelry sector as well as to marine, agricultural, leather, auto, electronics, machinery, plastics and electrical goods. Certain industries are excluded -- including the steel, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors -- as well as certain exports. India recently published guidelines about the new scheme, called the Remission of Duties and Taxes and Exported Products (see 2108170037).

China's General Administration of Customs will allow imported fresh citrus from South Africa, the agency said in an Aug. 31 announcement, according to an unofficial translation. The fresh fruit imports include oranges, grapefruits and lemons, and the notice describes their quarantine requirements. The orchard, packaging plant cold storage and cold treatment facilities for transporting the citrus must be audited and filed with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development of South Africa and jointly approved by China's General Administration of Customs and South Africa's agriculture ministry, the announcement said. The notice came with a host of other requirements, including that the packaging of the imported citrus should use clean and hygienic, unused packaging materials that meet China's phytosanitary requirements.

The Philippines recently announced “detailed” approval procedures for importers and exporters looking to become authorized economic operators, which grants them various trade privileges, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 31. The procedures describe what information is required in an AEO application, including the prescreening and risk-evaluation process before applications are accepted. HKTDC said AEOs will have access to dedicated cargo processing lanes, reduced inspection requirements and expedited clearances, among other benefits.

Sri Lanka recently updated its wheat import regulations to require additional declarations for U.S.-origin wheat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Aug. 26. USDA said the new requirements “effectively disallow” imports of U.S. wheat due to “highly restricted entry conditions.” The move comes after Sri Lanka in December revoked blanket approvals for wheat imports for human consumption and instead introduced one-year import permits.

Some U.S. agricultural exporters may see new opportunities in South Korea due to a rise in popularity of Western-style baked goods, international food products, cheese and wine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Aug. 26. USDA said baked goods have become “everyday food items” for Koreans, who prefer Western pastries. The country’s increasing demand for international food products has specifically driven demand for cheese, although U.S. cheese exporters may face competition from Australia, New Zealand and the European Union. Wine has also become a “big market” for exporters to South Korea, USDA said, especially because the country has “limited” local wine production.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade permitted the import of up to 1.2 million metric tons of crushed and de-oiled genetically modified soya cake until Oct. 31 under ITC Harmonized System codes 23040020 and 23040030 in an Aug. 24 notice. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying sought permission to import the food item. In response, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change inspected the soya cake in question and determined that since it does not contain any living modified organism, it can be imported. Shipments will only be accepted at the Nhava Sheva container and Petrapole land border ports, it said.

South Korea recently updated its requirements for imported U.S. dairy products, including those that contain eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said Aug. 25. The change, which took effect in July, requires all U.S.-origin dairy products to include a dairy export certificate issued by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. South Korea had previously accepted manufacturer statements in addition to USDA certificates. USDA said it launched a new dairy certificate on its Agriculture Trade Licensing & Attestation Solution system to help exporters comply with the new requirement.

Thailand recently launched a “Factory Sandbox” pilot program in a bid to minimize COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions on its export-driven manufacturing industries, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 25. The program involves testing, vaccinating and isolating factory workers at certain qualifying manufacturing factories to make sure the country maintains certain export levels, the report said. Thailand is prioritizing exporters in the automotive, electronics, food, beverages and medical equipment sectors, HKTDC said, and will initially include about 60 factories in certain “key manufacturing hubs.”