China barred the import of sheep, goats and related products from Azerbaijan following an outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. In January, Azerbaijan reported to the World Organization for Animal Health that 321 animals were infected with the diseases, two of which died.

China prohibited the direct or indirect import of artiodactyls, including sheep, goats, pigs, cows and deer, from Iraq following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Iraqi livestock, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. Last month, Iraq reported to the World Organization for Animal Health that over 1,500 cattle and 500 sheep, of which 11 and 10 died, respectively, were infected with the disease. China said that to protect its livestock and prevent the spread of the disease, Iraqi farmers cannot send cloven-hoofed animals to China, and any shipments of such will be returned or destroyed.

The Philippines is considering new import taxes on certain nonessential and luxury goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 10. The duties could affect luxury bags, wristwatches, leather items, cars, artwork, private jets and more. The country already imposes a 20% tax on certain nonessential goods, including jewelry, perfumes, yachts and other pleasure vessels.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Feb. 7 kicked off the first round of their negotiations over "Free Trade Area 3.0," an intended enhancement to the existing China-ASEAN free trade area, China's Ministry of Commerce announced, according to an unofficial translation. Both sides discussed procedural rules, organizational arrangements and work plans, laying out a timetable and road map for later talks. The negotiations were previously arranged to cover trade in goods, investment, the digital economy and the green economy.

Amid lobbying from the U.S. to take a tougher stance on China, Japan plans to introduce new export controls on advanced semiconductor technology and manufacturing equipment this spring, The Japan Times reported Feb. 5. The country will specifically place new restrictions on chip technology used for military applications, the report said, and will first solicit feedback from industry and others. The new regulations “will not explicitly name China” because Japan doesn’t want to “trigger retaliatory measures,” the report said. The U.S. reportedly concluded talks with Japan and the Netherlands in January after months of lobbying both governments to impose tougher export controls on chip-related items destined to China (see 2301270002).

Russian customs data shows the country’s sanctioned defense companies are buying navigation equipment, jamming technology, jet-fighter parts and more from China, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 4. Russia has imported tens of thousands of shipments of dual-use goods since its invasion of Ukraine last year, most of them from China, the report said. Although the U.S. and other Western nations have imposed strict export controls on technology to stop sensitive items from being sent to Russia, Moscow is able to sustain its military needs through countries that haven’t joined the U.S.-led sanctions effort, the report said, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. But Chinese companies are the “dominant exporters” of dual-use items to Russia, the report said.

India will lower its tariffs on imported pecans from 100% to 30%, according to its proposed 2023 budget, a longtime priority of U.S. pecan growers.

The Philippines recently extended a 5% tariff on certain imported chicken and turkey, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported this week. The tariff, now in place through Dec. 31, 2024, imposes the tariff on imports of “mechanically deboned or separated poultry,” USDA said.

South Korea arrested an oil broker who allegedly organized the shipment of 18,000 tonnes of diesel to North Korea without receiving the proper approval, the South Korean coast guard announced, according to an unofficial translation. The diesel was shipped 35 times from October 2021 to January 2022. A Russian oil tanker run by a South Korean supplier carried out ship-to-ship transfers with a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea. This vessel then made its own ship-to-ship transfers with a North Korean vessel, the coast guard said.

China imposed quarantine and sanitation requirements on imports of fish feed meal, fish oil and other aquatic animal proteins and oils from the Gambia, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. The measures apply specifically to proteins and oils derived from marine caught aquatic animals, including invertebrates but excluding marine mammals, that are not meant for human consumption. Exporting entities must be approved by the Gambian government and implement a quality management system, among other requirements.