India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade, in an Aug. 27 move, restricted the trade of "Wheat or Meslin Flour (Atta), Maida, Samolina (Rava/Sirgi), Wholemeal atta and resultant atta." The existing policy allowed the export of the subject goods, though their export was subject to the recommendation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (see 2208090033). Under the new policy, exports of wheat will be barred, with permission given by India's government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government. The DGFT also said wheat or meslin flour is no longer exempted from export restrictions and bans (see 2205200020).

Singapore Customs arrested a man and seized 261 cartons of cigarettes for which duties were not paid, the agency said in an Aug. 26 release. The customs agency spotted the man in a car that had brown boxes in the passenger compartment. Officers found 258 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, placing the man under arrest. After a follow-up search of the man's residence, Singapore Customs found another three cartons of cigarettes and 10 empty computer casings that were used as cover loads for the cigarettes. The man allegedly evaded $22,280 in duties and $1,770 in goods and services tax, Singapore Customs said. "Court proceedings are ongoing," the release said.

Vietnam has collected over $22,000 in fines and taxes from a company following an inspection of five shipments of supplemental foods, the state-run CustomsNews reported Aug. 28. The company, V.D.P Co., registered to import five shipments at the Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch. Following a post-clearance audit, the customs branch found the company falsely declared the Harmonized System code of the goods. Vietnam Customs said that the company had to pay an extra $19,000 in duties and $3,800 in fines.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking public comments on how well China is fulfilling its commitments to the World Trade Organization. There will be no public hearing due to COVID-19, but the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee will facilitate public participation via written questions and written responses. Written comments are due at www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2022-0012, by Sept. 28 at 11:59 pm EDT. Government officials will pose written questions to commenters in October, and the original writers will have until Oct. 26 at 11:59 pm EDT to respond.

China’s Hainan province said it will become the first region to ban sales of gasoline- and diesel-fueled cars, in an effort to combat climate change, the Associated Press reported this week. The province, consisting of islands off the mainland, will instead promote electric vehicles as it seeks to ban the cars by 2030, the report said.

South Korea held an industry conference Aug. 25 to discuss and coordinate responses to the U.S.’s CHIPS and Science Act, which provides incentives for American semiconductor investments, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides tax credits for certain electric vehicles that are assembled in North America, and whose batteries are mostly sourced from allies. South Korea said it hopes to continue to express to the U.S. its “concerns” over certain provisions of the CHIPS law that it said violate World Trade Organization rules. The country is also planning a range of “countermeasures,” including “an early commencement of manufacturing plant construction to move up production timelines” in its EV battery and chip sectors.

Vietnam forced an industrial construction company based in Ho Chi Minh City to suspend its import and export operations due to failure to pay taxes worth nearly $12 million, the state-run CustomsNews reported Aug. 24. The company, Industrial Construction, has failed to pay its taxes for over three months past its deadline -- a move CustomsNews said was deliberate. City tax authorities "urged local customs units" to suspend the company's import-export abilities. The decision will be dropped once the company fully pays its taxes, the report said.

South Korea will impose special support measures for its customs clearance services in the run-up to the Sept. 9-12 Chuseok holiday, according to an unofficial translation. The Korea Customs Service said it will provide support Aug. 29-Sept. 12 for expedited customs clearance and the timely shipment of exports for agricultural, livestock and marine products, as well as provide prompt refunds of customs duties. Thirty-four customs offices in South Korea will operate a special customs clearance support team 24 hours a day for this 15-day period.

Beijing-based TianTai Law firm this week published an alert on China’s export control laws (see 2204270040 and 2105180023), outlining how the restrictions apply to certain technologies. The alert also covers China’s Unreliable Entity List regulations and includes examples of certain technologies to show how companies should go about applying for export licenses.

Japan recently proposed to revise its geographical indication regulations to increase exports of GI-protected processed foods, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this week. The proposal would reduce “administrative requirements” for new GI applications and no longer require the applications to “specify natural idiosyncrasies of the product,” the agency said. Japan expects the proposed changes will “encourage Japanese producers of well-known value-added food products to apply for GI protection and will enhance the recognition of Japan’s GI system in overseas markets,” USDA said. The country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is accepting public comments on the proposal submitted by Sept. 1.