China is eliminating antidumping duties on products from India, Japan and Taiwan, China’s Ministry of Commerce said Nov. 20. China said it is eliminating antidumping duties on “methyl ethyl ketone” imported from Japan and Taiwan and “pyridine” imported from India and Japan. The changes will take effect Nov. 21.

Vietnam is developing a list of imports to be banned from bonded warehouses, Vietnam Customs said in a Nov. 19 report from Customs News, the agency’s mouthpiece. The country previously considered banning certain imports of foreign cigarettes and liquor from entering bonded warehouses due to smuggling issues (see 1911050025). The country is now examining “other items which have a high risk of taking advantage” of Vietnam’s bonded warehouse system, the report said.

The lower house of the Japan's National Diet approved the country’s trade deal with the U.S., sending the deal to the upper house for approval, according to a Nov. 19 report from The Japan Times. Japan hopes to ratify the deal before the current Diet session ends Dec. 9, the report said. The deal, signed in October (see 1910070074), is expected to take effect Jan. 1.

Japan is revising its export controls for certain technologies and machine parts, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Nov. 19. The controls will impact certain “detonation” engines, “control devices of gear machine tools,” “optical sensors” and “microwave equipment,” Japan said, according to an unofficial translation.

India is hosting a Regional Contact Points meeting for the World Customs Organization’s Asia Pacific region this week to discuss trade issues, India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said Nov. 18. The meetings, taking place Nov. 18-20, feature customs delegations from more than 25 countries and will focus on greater communication and technology advancements in customs procedures.

Singapore Customs opened its new Customs Operations Command building, consolidating the agency’s intelligence, investigation and “compliance related functions” in one building, Singapore said in a Nov. 15 press release. Singapore said the building “provides modern facilities to support our enforcement operations,” including officer training. “This facility enhances the operational capability of Singapore Customs and affirms our commitment to our mission of protecting revenue, and making trade easy, fair and secure,” Director-General of Customs Ho Chee Pong said in a statement.

Thailand’s recent decision to ban three chemicals could lead to a “shutdown” in imports of several products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report released Nov. 18. The chemicals ban, which includes glyphosate, will “definitively” impact U.S agricultural exports to Thailand, especially soybeans, wheat, beans, pulses, fruit, vegetables and other agricultural goods, the report said. The number of crops affected could be as high as 70, based on information about chemical treatments during the production cycle, USDA said.

KPMG released an overview of Japan’s tax system on Nov. 15, detailing a range of the country’s laws that affect imports, exports, tariffs and customs. The guide contains details on measures affecting customs clearance, customs valuation, rules of origin, access to import and export data, taxes levied on importers and more.

Singapore Customs issued Nov. 18 circulars on how importers and exporters can benefit from preferential treatment under the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which will take effect Nov. 21. The exporting guide covers new rules of origin under the EUSFTA, customs documentation procedures and record-keeping requirements. The importing guide covers which goods will be subject to preferential tariff rates and procedures for claiming those tariff rates, as well as customs procedures and record-keeping requirements.

China announced tariff-rate quotas for fertilizer imports for 2020, according to a Nov. 15 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. China will set its quotas at 3.3 million tons of urea, 6.9 million tons of diamond phosphate and 3.45 million tons of compound fertilizers. The TRQ will be 1 percent for all three items, HKTDC said. Chinese authorities will accept applications and issue certificates for the quotas starting Dec. 15.