The World Bank reports that while many International Development Association (IDA) countries have made major headway in realizing the benefits available through access to international markets, the recent financial and earlier food and fuel crises have put this progress at risk. The slowdown in trade activity has been widespread, impacting both wealthy nations and poorer ones. IDA countries, which are generally the most vulnerable to these kinds of market shocks, have been deeply affected. Moreover, IDA countries continue to face supply-side constraints that affect their trade capacity such as weak institutions and inadequate physical infrastructure has also hampered their export performance.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that eighty-six countries joined representatives of the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to discuss an international effort to counter the illicit diversion and trafficking of precursor chemicals that may be used by terrorists and other criminal organizations to manufacture explosive devices.
The World Customs Organization and the World Bank announced that they have reached agreement in principle to launch a new $3.1 million capacity building initiative designed to provide greater access to some of the WCO’s key capacity building programs for Customs officials in Africa. The project will be implemented over three years and will be known as the WCO/World Bank Customs Capacity Enhancement Project for Sub-Saharan Africa (CCEP-SSA).
China State news agency Xinhaunet states that China-Africa trade volume set to hit new record high this year, exceeding the record high of 106.8 billion U.S. dollars attained in 2008, according to a report released October 14, 2010 by a research institute under the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
Yao Jian, spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce said on October 15, 2010 that China's restrictions on rare earth exploration, production and export are consistent with international regulations and domestic law.
China's Ministry of Commerce reports that China's top legislature will discuss the draft law on vehicle and vessel taxation for the first time at a bimonthly session scheduled from Oct. 25 to 28. A State Council executive meeting passed the draft law on Tuesday and decided to submit it for lawmakers to discuss. Lawmakers will discuss the reports from the Supreme People's Procuratorate on improving their work against graft and rights infringement.
GOV.cn reports that CPC Central Committee is beginning its session to determine the next five-year development plan. It will be a time of deepening the reform and opening-up process while accelerating the transformation of the nation's economic development pattern, said the announcement. "China's export-driven economic growth is unsustainable," said Justin Yifu Lin, World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President.
The first Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial meeting on Food Security was held in Nigata, Japan on October 16-17, 2010. Meeting participants adopted the Nigata Declaration on APEC Food Security and an Action Plan, which has food safety components and some trade aspects. Action Plan available here.
Mexico's Diario Oficial of October 15, 2010 lists a notice from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
In the October 15, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted: