In the Jan. 23-28 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
Exports to China
United Kingdom businesses and U.S. agricultural exporters want the two countries to sign a comprehensive trade deal rather than continue the Trump administration's recent string of limited phase one deals, industry representatives said. Some stakeholders feel the two countries should capitalize on negotiating a full agreement before the upcoming U.S. presidential election, which could lead to an anti-Brexit Democratic president and stymie negotiations, the representatives said.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Jan. 21-24 in case you missed them.
China’s customs agencies have been ordered to increase port restrictions but to streamline certain disease-fighting imports as the country battles the spread of the coronavirus, according to an unofficial translation of a Jan. 27 notice from China’s General Administration of Customs. Customs officials have been told to “strengthen the control” of their ports but set up “special acceptance windows” and “rapid inspection and release” for certain imports, including “imported epidemic prevention and control materials.” Certain imported items, including goods donated to fight pneumonia caused by the virus, will get a “fast-track clearance” at customs gates and ports, according to a Jan. 26 report from Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. Other items benefiting from “fast clearance” include imported medicines, disinfectant products, protective equipment and medical devices, Xinhua said.
The members of the Maine delegation -- Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an Independent; and Democratic House members Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden -- sent a letter to the U.S. trade representative asking that he reveal the dollar value of China's purchase promises for U.S. lobster. Lobster sales to China fell after retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent on the shellfish in response to the first round of Section 301 tariffs.
India plans to increase import duties on about $56 billion worth of goods, including a range of electronics, electrical goods, chemicals and handicrafts, according to a Jan. 24 report from Reuters. The announcement could be made by India’s finance minister during the presentation of the annual budget on Feb. 1, the report said. Higher duties are likely to target 50 items, including mobile phone chargers, industrial chemicals, lamps, wooden furniture, candles and jewelry, Reuters said. Import tariffs could increase by 5 percent to 10 percent, and could directly impact smartphone manufacturers and other retailers, the report said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 24 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
There will be more trade uncertainty in 2020 than in 2019 despite a phase one deal with China, trade experts said during a Jan. 22 panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As trade tensions with Europe come to the foreground and as the U.S. potentially negotiates a more comprehensive deal with Japan, one expert said, the administration will not have enough time and resources to start on phase two of the deal with China as it tries to implement the first phase. Another panelist said the U.S. and China will likely come to a “narrow” phase two deal as the election approaches, but that deal will not provide relief for the international trade environment.
China recently removed tax-free quotas for imports of “key technology equipment,” according to a Jan. 24 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Under the changes, issued Jan. 13, certain “crucial components and raw materials” for imports used by qualified Chinese companies whose development is supported by the government will be exempt from import duty and import VAT, the report said. The exemptions will also apply to imports of crucial components and raw materials needed by “nuclear power project managers,” HKTDC said.
A group of 17 World Trade Organization members announced plans for an interim appeals process to settle disputes between members, according to a Jan. 24 joint statement. The members, including the European Union and China but not the U.S., said they will put in place “contingency measures” to allow for appeals of WTO panel reports “in disputes among ourselves.” The system would only be in place until a reformed WTO appellate body “becomes fully operational,” the statement said.