Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed imposing a value-added tax on fertilizer products with the goal of boosting domestic production, the state-run CustomsNews e-magazine reported May 11. No VAT currently exists for fertilizer products. Fertilizer prices have continuously increased from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2022, driven by higher oil prices, a major production input for inorganic fertilizers, CustomsNews said. Taking the action would help drive down the increased fertilizer costs for agricultural production and, potentially, assist in a move toward green production.

The following are short summaries of recent CBP NY rulings issued by the agency's National Commodity Specialist Division in New York:

Sixteen months into the Biden administration, several key communications policy positions remain unfilled, including the State Department official who oversees communications. Another gap is a federal chief technology officer, or anyone within the White House specifically charged with overseeing communications policy. On the positive side, Jessica Rosenworcel has been permanent chair of the FCC since December and Alan Davidson NTIA administrator since January.

Indonesia recently increased its value-added tax from 10% to 11%, which will affect a range of taxable goods and imports, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 21. The increase, which took effect April 1, will apply to certain liquefied petroleum gas, agricultural goods and fertilizer products, the report said. It will also apply to certain logistical services, including freight forwarding and package delivery.

Russia temporarily increased its export quotas for mineral fertilizers by nearly 700,000 tons until May 31, the Russian Foreign Ministry said April 17, according to an unofficial translation. The quota for nitrogen fertilizers was upped by 231,000 tons to total about 5.7 million tons. The quota for complex fertilizers rose by 466,000 to about 5.6 million tons. The Foreign Ministry said the quotas don't apply to fertilizers to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine or to Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the South Caucasus. The move was made to support Russian fertilizer suppliers facing global sanctions, the ministry said.

The EU added 217 individuals and 18 entities to its fifth sanctions package on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Announcing the additions April 8, the European Council said they include Kremlin officials, oligarchs and proponents of disinformation surrounding the war in Ukraine. Among them Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, shareholder of fertilizer company Acron Group; Boris Rotenberg, shareholder of Gazprom Drilling and co-owner of the SGM group; and Oleg Deripaska, owner of Russian Machines and other arms companies. The restrictions also apply to family members of sanctioned individuals.

The International Trade Commission published notices in the April 11 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):

The International Trade Commission will issue a limited exclusion order barring entry of certain in vitro fertilization products, components thereof, and products containing the same (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1196) that infringe EMD Serono’s asserted trademarks and that are imported by FastIVF and Hermes Ezcanesi. Respondents were importing gray market products that copied trademarks held by EMD Serono and also falsely advertised the origin of the products, the ITC found in its February determination of injury (see 2202160053). In addition to the limited exclusion order, the ITC will issue a cease and desist order to FastIVF, it said in an April 11 notice.

The EU officially adopted its fifth round of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, banning the import or transfer of Russian coal and other solid fossil fuels. The EU ramped up pressure on Russia following atrocities committed in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, the European Council said April 8.

Congress passed a bill that will end permanent normal trade relations status for Russian and Belarusian goods, with a unanimous vote in the Senate and a 420-3 vote in the House. It also codified the already accomplished ban on Russian fossil fuels, unanimously in the Senate and 413-9 in the House.