China lifted its antidumping measures on Japanese stainless steel products July 23, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced, according to an unofficial translation.

South Korea sanctioned Hong Kong-based shipping company HK Yilin Shipping Co. and the North Korean-flagged vessel, called Tok Song, for violating sanctions on North Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced July 18, according to an unofficial translation. A vessel owned by Yilin Shipping took coal from Tok Song in March in a ship-to-ship transfer off North Korea's coast, the ministry said. Future financial exchanges with the shipping company will require prior approval from South Korea's Financial Services Commission or the Governor of the Bank of Korea. The government said it "will continue to take strong and consistent law enforcement measures against ships and shipping companies involved in the transport of prohibited goods."

Japanese authorities last week arrested the representative of a trading company for allegedly illegally exporting controlled items subject to sanctions on Russia, Baker McKenzie said in a client alert. The Russian citizen's arrest marks the first of its kind in Japan involving illicit exports to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

China recently updated the list of products whose foreign production facilities are required to register under Decree 248, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. China removed from the list 13 products and added 60 products, with changes affecting certain aquatic products; edible vegetable oils; frozen, dried and canned fruits; candied fruits; fresh and dehydrated vegetables; grain products, milk products, nuts and seeds; and more. It said, "Some of the updates are not complete removals of the products but additions of the same products with different Customs, Inspection, and Quarantine (CIQ) codes."

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it opposes legislation planned by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that could lead to new sanctions on Chinese military firms.

Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department is asking industry to submit permit applications and reports for activities involving certain chemicals controlled by the Chemical Weapons Convention, the agency said this month. Hong Kong requires operators of certain facilities that work and trade with the chemicals to submit annual reports, which are then submitted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the international implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The annual reports must contain details about past and “anticipated activities” involving controlled chemicals. Violators of the reporting requirements, including facilities operating without the required permits, may face fines and imprisonment. Facilities must report certain activities by July 19.

Beijing renewed its antidumping duties on imports of Japanese and U.S. optical fiber preforms, saying in a July 10 notice that the imports will damage China’s domestic industry if the duties are allowed to lapse. The tariffs will remain in place for five years from July 11, according to an unofficial translation.

Beijing is investigating the EU for potentially adopting unfair trade practices as part of the bloc’s process for awarding projects to Chinese suppliers of wind power, photovoltaics, security equipment and electric trains destined for Europe, China’s Ministry of Commerce said July 10. The ministry plans to complete its probe by Jan. 10, although it could be extended to April 10, according to an unofficial translation. The announcement comes after the EU in April began an investigation on Chinese government subsidies awarded to suppliers of wind turbines destined for Europe (see 2404090038).

The Philippines last month updated import duty rates for a range of commodities, including a lower tariff rate for rice, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report. The country lowered its rice duty from 35% to 15%, USDA said, adding that the tariff changes are meant to “augment supply, manage prices, and temper inflationary pressure of various commodities.”

Exporters of dairy products to India will on Sept. 1 be required to appear on a list of approved establishments eligible to export to the country, the FDA said in an emailed news release last week. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India “will include establishments on these lists that have been found to comply with applicable food safety requirements by the competent authority of the exporting country,” the FDA said. The agency will keep a list of establishments that have “expressed interest in exporting dairy to India” and that the FDA has found to meet U.S. requirements, and the agency will “transmit an initial list of such firms to FSSAI” by Sept. 1, it said. Establishments that want to be included on the initial list should request to be added by Aug. 23 using the FDA’s Export Listing Module, the FDA said.