Turkey recently announced a three-month export ban on bulk olive oil shipments, including in barrels, due to shortages of olive oil products in the Mediterranean, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report last week. The restrictions apply until Nov. 1.
The Dubai Maritime Authority recently issued new rules designed to increase transparency surrounding container charges, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported June 2. Under the new rules, new service providers licensed with the agency must submit “a list of current local sea container charges within 30 days” of receiving their license, and service providers are “prohibited from raising their sea container charges, other than to match any new or increased authority, port operator, or government charges.”
Nigeria recently announced new import taxes and bans on a range of products, including alcohol, vehicles and pharmaceuticals, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 25. New taxes apply to imports of all alcoholic beverages, motor vehicles with engines, single-use plastics and certain telecommunication services. An import ban now applies to motor vehicles over 12 years old, certain pharmaceutical products -- such as paracetamol, vitamin B‑complex, aspirin and multivitamins -- and certain fertilizers.
Turkey set new import duties on wheat, barley, corn and other grains, which were previously tariff-free but became subject to a 130% duty on May 1, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report. USDA said the duty was likely introduced to protect farmers from a potential influx of cheap grain imports caused by a “widening price gap between domestic and Black Sea grain.” The tariff was also “higher than was originally expected and surprised some local grain traders,” the agency said, adding that the rate is the maximum it can set on grains under World Trade Organization rules.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates recently implemented a free trade deal that will lower tariffs on about 96% of traded goods between the two countries, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 12. Israel and the UAE signed the deal last year (see 2204260019).
Turkey this month lifted the remaining export bans it had placed on agricultural products last year to counter “skyrocketing food inflation” (see 2202020032), USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a March 14 report. The country lifted restrictions on red meat, certain pulses, sunflower oil and tomatoes, USDA said, noting the ban on tomatoes had “triggered a backlash” within Turkey's tomato industry, which “depends on exports for its survival.” Turkey has gradually lifted its food export restrictions over the past year (see 2203170012 and 2207210009).
The container ship MSC Istanbul was refloated after running aground in the Suez Canal, the Suez Canal Authority announced March 5. The ship got stuck heading north but was freed by tugboats. The authority diverted northbound traffic from the western to eastern channel to pass, it said.
Madagascar initiated a safeguard investigation covering wheat or meslin flour and imposed a provisional measure Feb. 18, the country told the World Trade Organization's Committee on Safeguards, the WTO said. Madagascar said that interested parties should contact the ANMCC, its National Authority Responsible for Trade Corrective Measures, within 30 days from the investigation's start date.
Saudi Arabia recently announced an initiative to reduce customs clearance procedures at all sea, air and land ports to two hours, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 10. Customs clearance could have previously taken as long as 12 days, the report said, adding the country hopes to improve customs productivity and boost its competitiveness as a global logistics center. Saudi Arabia aims to reach the two-hour target by increasing cooperation with private and public “customs counterparts” and through more training for customs employees.
Ghana this month officially approved the use of a U.S. export certificate for American pork and other meat products, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a Jan 18 report. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in October requested market access for U.S. pork through the use of FSIS’ 9060-5 export certificate, the agency said, adding Ghana “will accept the proposed export certificate” to “cover all U.S. meat products.” Those products include pork, beef, goat, lamb and poultry. Ghana’s pork market is currently dominated by the EU, USDA said, with the U.S. “not being a significant player.”