China’s Qingdao customs center officially began a "demonstration" to test its “intelligent gate,” which allows for faster clearance of cargo, China’s General Administration of Customs said in an Aug. 28 press release, according to an unofficial translation. The first test of the new system was on Aug. 22 with a container truck rolling through the gate of the customs facility and into an adjacent "logistics park." The gate “automatically” obtains vehicle information and container number from cargo entering through the gate and identifies the goods being transported, China said. China said the gates will reduce “logistics and transportation” costs for companies.

Vietnam proposed a move to exempt import duties on car parts intended for the “assembly/manufacture of green/alternative fuel vehicles,” according to an Aug. 27 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The exemption would apply to parts imported before 2024, the report said.

Taiwan “rejected or destroyed” 23 shipments of U.S. agricultural products during the first half of 2019 due to chemical residues and food additives, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Aug. 23. The USDA said 15 of the 23 rejections contained “pesticide residues,” such as “fluopyram on fresh broccoli and fruit powder.” Food additives were the second largest reason for violations, USDA said, and included issues such as “benzoic acid on collagen powder and vitamin drinks.” USDA said the violations “continue to pose a challenge to U.S. agricultural exports and exporters should be vigilant in the face of strict Taiwan adherence to food safety regulations.”

Taiwan is tightening labeling requirements for imported chicken products to urge “retail outlets” to label slaughter and production dates on all imports, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Aug. 23. Taiwan’s Food And Drug Administration urged companies to comply with the change in a recommendation published Aug. 13, USDA said. Taiwan plans to first impose a “trial program requesting voluntary labeling on all poultry meat and products sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets” before the measures are officially imposed, the report said. USDA said the country did not release a date for when the trial would begin, but said it would impact about 10 percent of the country’s U.S. chicken imports.

Singapore's and Thailand’s customs mutual recognition agreement will take effect Sept. 1, allowing for a more efficient exporting process and faster customs clearance for authorized economic operators in the two countries, Singapore said in an Aug. 26 notice. Qualifying companies “can now look forward to facilitated clearance for their goods” when the two countries trade, the notice said. The agreement covers companies certified under Singapore Customs’ Secure Trade Partnership-Plus program and Thailand’s Authorized Economic Operator program.

China is renewing a customs agreement that allows Hong Kong traders to transship cargo from Hong Kong to mainland China under reduced tariffs, according to an Aug. 21 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The agreement allows for reduced tariffs for cargo from China’s list of “Least Developed Countries,” which includes mainly African nations, including Angola, Ethiopia, Uganda and more, the report said. The agreement allows Hong Kong traders to apply for “Certificates of Non-manipulation,” which make cargo eligible for “preferential tariffs,” the HKTDC said. The agreement was originally set to end on Aug. 1.

Israel and South Korea signed a trade deal that will ease customs duties for both sides, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an Aug. 21 press release.

Vietnam "completed" its draft amendments to various export and import tariffs, which includes a change to the “regulations on preferential import tax rates for raw materials, supplies and components to manufacture” goods for the auto industry, Vietnam Customs' mouthpiece CustomsNews said in an Aug. 22 report. The regulations include a zero percent “preferential import tax rate” for “domestic raw materials, supplies and components that have not yet been produced in the period of 2019-2023,” the report said. The report also clarifies how companies can qualify for the lowered import tax rate.

An Indian national was sentenced to prison after being convicted on charges of illegally importing thousands of packets of cigarettes and avoiding more than $120,000 (in Singapore dollars) in taxes, Singapore said in an Aug. 21 press release. Singapore said Veerappan Vimalraj stored more than 13,000 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes and more than 10,000 “sachets of prohibited chewing tobacco” in a storage facility and routinely delivered the goods to customers in Singapore, who would try to avoid detection by not dealing with Vimalraj face to face for the transaction. Vimalraj was sentenced to about 19 months in prison.

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.”