China suspended its tariff increase on U.S. imports scheduled to take effect Dec. 15, according to a report from Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. The decision to suspend the tariffs, which resulted from an agreement on a phase one deal between the two sides (see 1912130035), covered a planned 10 percent and 5 percent increase on certain goods, Xinhua said. The country will also “continue to suspend” additional tariffs on U.S. vehicles and auto parts and continue to work on tariff exemptions for certain U.S. imports, including pork and soybeans (see 1912060033).

China’s “advance classification advisory service” for samples of imports will start Dec. 20, according to a Dec. 13 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The measure will help companies gain a “preliminary ruling” on the classification of commodities for both imports and exports, the report said. To use the service, Chinese importers are required to apply to their local customs office when importing goods that have completed safety and quality assessments “via pre-shipment inspection,” or when importing samples of goods imported at a later date, the HKTDC said.

China recently announced plans to increase penalties for violations of intellectual property rights, according to a Dec. 12 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, an issue at the center of the U.S.-China trade deal negotiations. China will raise its penalty from “three times the actual damages incurred” to “five times the actual damage,” the HKTDC said. The announcement is part of a China initiative to improve intellectual property rights protections in two phases by 2025, the report said.

Cambodia is collaborating with South Korea on a one-year “feasibility study” of a free trade agreement between the two nations, according to a Dec. 12 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. In a joint statement, the countries said a trade deal will “strengthen relations,” promote “service exports” and improve economic growth, the report said. Cambodia mainly exports garments, footwear, electronics, natural rubber and travel accessories to South Korea, while importing South Korean knitted textiles, trucks, electronics, cosmetics and beverages, the report said. All the goods are likely to be impacted by a potential trade deal.

The Philippines and South Korea expect to agree to a trade deal by mid-2020 as the two sides have made “significant progress” on trade in goods, according to a Dec. 11 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The two sides are close on a deal regarding the Philippines' export of bananas, garments and auto parts and South Korea’s export of pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and auto parts, the report said. Agreements have also been reached on rules of origin, and the two sides are “confident” the deal will be completed soon, HKTDC said.

Hong Kong Customs recently seized about $6.4 million worth of smuggled frozen meat en route to China, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Dec. 6. Customs authorities seized the shipments, which weighed 540 metric tons, in Hong Kong waters after they were smuggled onto four fishing boats off of a Hong Kong pier, the report said. The fishing boats did not have refrigeration facilities, USDA said, and the meat was composed of “high-value beef products” from “various countries,” including the U.S. and Europe. The agency called it the “largest detection of smuggled meats both in terms of value and volume in the past decade.” The meats included cuts of beef such as “shanks, ribs” and “round,” but no pork.

Vietnam is planning to introduce tax measures to support its domestic auto industry, including reducing import tariffs for certain auto parts and accessories, according to a Dec. 9 report from Customs News, the customs agency’s mouthpiece. The country plans to introduce the changes in December to create “more favourable conditions and incentives for enterprises and industries supporting automotive manufacturing and assembly.” The proposed changes would eliminate import tax rates on certain auto parts, the report said.

Vietnam’s Noi Bai Customs is preparing to strengthen customs inspection and enforcement of imports and exports during the Lunar New Year toward the end of January, according to a Dec. 9 report from Customs News, the agency’s mouthpiece. Customs traffic through Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport border gate has “increased sharply” in preparation for the new year, the report said, and officials plan to tighten inspections.

The U.S. and Vietnam signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement meant to “further strengthen bilateral cooperation on security and the facilitation of lawful trade,” CBP said in an emailed Dec. 9 news release. “This agreement is a critical step forward in our economic and security partnership with Vietnam,” CBP Deputy Assistant Commissioner for International Affairs Erik Moncayo said. “The CMAA will enable the U.S. and Vietnam to more effectively combat terrorism and transnational crime while facilitating increasing volumes of lawful commerce.” The U.S. now has CMAAs with 82 countries, it said. In recent months, Vietnam has been trying to crack down on country of origin fraud and transshipment schemes that have become especially more frequent since the ramping up of U.S.-China trade tensions (see 1908280043).

China’s Ministry of Finance announced new and amended tariffs for imports of certain “technical equipment,” China said in a Dec. 6 press release, according to an unofficial translation. The changes will exempt customs duties for certain imports starting Jan. 1, 2020, and will levy import tariffs on other goods starting July 1, 2020.