The International Organization for Standardization has published a new technical report, ISO/TR 11360:2010, Nanotechnologies -- Methodology for the classification and categorization of materials. This report offers a comprehensive, globally harmonized methodology for classifying materials.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is announcing the availability of an ICPO-INTERPOL handbook that has collated many examples of techniques that have been used by criminals to engage in the cross-border smuggling of wildlife. The handbook also contains guidance on detecting fraud, such as false CITES documents and labels, fraudulent declarations, etc. The handbook that is being made available to law enforcement officials only.
China's Ministry of Commerce reports that a proposed transport network stretching from the south China city of Nanning to Singapore, that would help create a southeast Asian economic community, has stalled largely due to unresolved funding and administrative issues. The Nanning-Singapore (N-S) Economic Corridor, a system of highways and railways connecting major southeast Asian cities, is reported to already largely exist;the highway portion has proved feasible to some extent by the China-ASEAN International Car Rally Race, which was successfully held in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea has announced that imports of U.S. beef more than doubled in the first half of 2010 from a year ago, making Korea the 4th largest importer of U.S. beef after Mexico, Canada and Japan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says some 57,000 tons of U.S. beef were exported to Korea in the first six months of 2010, compared to 28,000 tons in the same period last year.
The European Commission has issued statistics covering of the European Union's antidumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard activities during the first six months of 2010.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has announced that the 10th round of negotiations on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) are being held from August 16 - August 20, 2010 in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Participants in the negotiations include Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.S. A draft agenda has also been posted.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) authorizes trade in ivory carvings, for non-commercial purposes, from Zimbabwe. Until recently, licensed domestic traders were authorized to issue to customers a document, known as a ‘Short Export Permit', at the time of purchase. This document was supplied by the CITES Management Authority of Zimbabwe. When endorsed by a Customs officer prior to export, it entitled the customer to leave the country with ivory carvings. However, this practice has been terminated. Persons wishing to take ivory carvings out of the country must now apply to one of Zimbabwe’s three CITES Management Authority offices, at which time they will be issued a standard CITES export permit. Parties are therefore requested to no longer authorize the import of any ivory carvings where the traveler presents a ‘Short Export Permit’.
The World Trade Organization has issued the reports of the panel that had examined complaints by the U.S., Japan and Chinese Taipei against “European Communities and its Member States — Tariff Treatment of Certain Information Technology Products” (DS375, DS376 and DS377), in which the panel found, among other things, that the European Communities has acted inconsistently with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
China’s Commerce Vice Minister stated on August 1, 2010 that in the latter half of the year, China’s policy for foreign trade will give priority to stability. However, as China’s foreign trade environment is facing uncertainty, export rebates for high consumption and high pollution products may be necessarily fine-tuned in accordance with the strategic requirements for energy conservation and emission reduction.