The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on three Chinese citizens and two Chinese entities for drug trafficking, Treasury said in an Aug. 21 press release. OFAC designated Fujing Zheng and his company, Shanghai-based Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (Zheng DTO), under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. OFAC also sanctioned Xiaobing Yan for being a drug trafficker, Guanghua Zheng for supporting Zheng DTO and Shanghai-based Qinsheng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., for being owned by Zheng.
Exports to China
China’s Haikou Customs is planning to speed up its customs clearance process through appointment clearances and dedicated channels for “fresh products to ensure fast cargo,” according to an unofficial translation of an Aug. 21 press release from China’s General Administration of Customs. Haikou Customs also plans to promote advance declarations “to achieve customs declarations that do not require inspection and quarantine … and can be released directly after the customs confirms the delivery of the transportation report.” The changes also aim to “reduce unnecessary paper circulation.”
The State Department approved the potential sale of $8 billion worth of defense-related goods to Taiwan, the Defense Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Aug. 20 press release. The sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office includes 66 F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft, engines, radars, computers, “multipurpose launchers” and other military products. The sale serves U.S. national interests by supporting Taiwan’s military to help it “maintain a credible defensive capability,” the press release said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 21 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 12-16 in case they were missed.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed the notion that the Trump administration has sent mixed messages on Huawei, saying the president’s plans have “been unambiguous.” Pompeo’s comments came days after Trump said the U.S. would not be extending a temporary general license for Huawei, followed by the Commerce Department extending the license for 90 days (see 1908190039).
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expects Canada's Parliament to continue progress on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in the fall following October elections, he said in recently posted written responses to House Ways and Means Committee members following a June 19 hearing (see 1906190062). "The Trudeau government has begun necessary steps to ratify the USMCA in its Parliament and has stated that it plans to move forward on implementation in tandem with the United States," he said. "The Canadian Parliament has adjourned for the summer and is not expected to return before federal elections are held on October 21, 2019. We anticipate that Canada will take up the legislation once a new government is seated later this fall, and we are confident that the Parliament will vote in favor of the Agreement."
Vietnam issued a circular to update the rules of origin regulations under the recent agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Vietnam Customs' mouthpiece CustomsNews said in an Aug. 20 report. Vietnam clarified how rules of origin apply to goods, “origin criteria for converting commodity codes at level of 4 digits” and regulations on the de minimis level. The circular will take effect Sept. 12.
China is increasing import restrictions on fruit and vegetable products from Vietnam, Vietnam Customs' mouthpiece CustomsNews said in an Aug. 19 report. Vietnam said China’s recently released plans will “apply stricter requirements and standards” on Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable imports in addition to China’s requirements that all fruits are “given codes indicating both growing areas and their packaging facilities.” If Vietnam does not agree to the higher standards, China will reject “all certificates and codes granted by Vietnam,” the report said. Vietnam’s Plant Protection Department is urging all packaging facilities to “strictly follow the standards set forth by China,” the report said.
China is imposing “special safeguard measures” on eight Australian beef-related agricultural products, China’s General Administration of Customs said in an Aug. 17 notice, according to an unofficial translation. China said Australian beef imports on Aug. 15, under six tax codes, exceeded the quantity that can be imported in 2019. The country resumed taxing the imports under Most Favored Nation tariffs on Aug. 17.