The United Arab Emirates will ban imports of most single-use plastics, including biodegradable plastic bags, beginning in 2024, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 18. The country plans to impose an import ban on most other single-use plastic products beginning in 2026, the report said, covering soft-drink cups, eating utensils, plates, straws, food containers and more. Certain exceptions apply, including for items “clearly labeled” for reexport.

A ship hauling grain to China from Ukraine that ran aground in the Suez Canal and disrupted traffic has been refloated, the Suez Canal Authority said Jan. 9, according to an unofficial translation. The M/V Glory -- a ship just over half the length of the Ever Given, which blocked the canal in 2021 -- had prevented about 20 ships from traveling south through the canal. The Suez Canal Authority said the Glory experienced a technical failure that stalled it for four hours.

Nigeria recently imposed a 0.5% tax on all imports from outside Africa, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 3. The change, which took effect Jan. 1, is in addition to existing customs duties and is meant to “lower Nigeria’s public debt” and boost government revenue, the report said. Some experts believe it also may raise the costs of imported goods for consumers.

A large Israeli trade delegation arrived in Turkey Dec. 5 to meet with exporters, representing a thaw in relations between the two nations, Bloomberg reported. The two-day meeting will see representatives from around 60 Israeli companies meet with the Turkish exporters, hosted by the Turkish Exporters' Assembly. “The recent normalization of Turkey’s relations with Israel reflects positively on the trade relations of the two countries,” the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly said in a statement.

Iraq plans to boost its oil export capacity from its southern ports beginning in 2023 to add 1 million to 1.5 million barrels a day by 2025, Bloomberg reported. Iraq will undertake a project to rehabilitate the Khor Al Amaya port and marine pipelines, said Mohammed Saadoon, Iraq's delegate to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, according to the report. Export capacity at the port is expected to jump by 150,000 to 200,000 barrels a day starting next year. In October, the Middle Eastern nation shipped 3.293 million barrels daily from its southern ports, the report said. Saadoon added that the oil ministry also plans to ramp up oil production to between 5 million and 5.5 million barrels a day by 2028.

Ghana recently announced a new policy that will restrict imports of rice, poultry, vegetable oils, pasta and other food items, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report. Under the new policy, the Bank of Ghana no longer will offer foreign exchange support for the import of those food goods and other items it classifies as “non-critical” or “non-essential,” the report said. The effort is aimed at helping the country’s economy, USDA said, adding that Ghana’s “ability to service its loans and pay government obligations is under severe pressure.” The measure comes after U.S. poultry meat and product exports to Ghana reached a record high of $92.6 million in calendar year 2021.

South Africa recently began a sunset review of antidumping duties on “frozen bone-in portions of poultry” from the U.S., USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said Nov. 16. The South African Poultry Association told the country’s International Trade Administration Commission that expiration of AD on the poultry imports, scheduled for Nov. 23, “would likely lead to the continuation or recurrent of dumping or material injury.” South Africa said the application submitted by the association “has enough prima facie evidence to trigger a sunset review investigation” for the period of Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021. USDA said U.S. bone-in chicken shipments to South Africa have been subject to AD since 2000.

Iran imposed reciprocal sanctions on the U.S., the EU, the U.K. and Canada for their restrictions on Iran in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the subsequent violent crackdowns on the protests, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, according to an unofficial translation. Sanctioned parties are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban. The sanctions on the U.S. include Michael Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command; Gregory Guillot, deputy commander, U.S. Central Command; Army Col. Scott Desormeaux, based in Erbil, Iraq; Brian Nelson, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence; the C.I.A.; the 9th Air Force of the U.S. Army; and the U.S. National Guard. The lists for the sanctioned British, European and Canadian parties were also released.

Kenya recently lifted a decade-old ban on imports of genetically modified organisms and related products, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported this month. The change will allow traders to import “cheaper food supplies and animal feed engineered through biotechnology,” the report said.

Ethiopia recently banned imports of 38 nonessential items, including furniture, perfumes, cosmetics, artificial jewelry and watches, the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council reported Oct 26. The ban is intended to “restrict the use of foreign currency to pay for non‑essential imports,” HKTDC said, adding that Ethiopia has ordered commercial banks not to issue letters of credit for imports of the nonessential goods. Other items on the banned import list include soaps, bags, wallets, seafood, chocolate, alcohol, fruit juices and nonelectric vehicles.