The European Commission has posted a fact sheet on EU-China trade which states that Europe's imports from China grew by 16.5% on average per year during 2004-2008, making China its biggest source of manufactured goods. China is also Europe's fastest growing export market. Europe exported €81.7 billion worth of goods to China in 2009, 4% more than in 2008.
The United Nations Codex Alimentarius Commission has set new limits for the amount of melamine allowed in baby formula, other foods, and animal feed without causing health problems.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada is advising exporters that, effective July 13, 2010, Canada has added the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to the Area Control List (ACL), the list of countries to which the exportation of all goods and technology must be authorized by an export permit. All applications for permits to export items to North Korea will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Applications to export goods or technology that do not fall into one of the described categories will generally be denied.
GOV.cn reports that the People's Bank of China , or the central bank, and Hong Kong's renminbi clearing bank, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, on July 19, 2010 signed a revised Settlement Agreement on the Clearing of Renminbi Businesses in Hong Kong. As a result of the agreement, "there will no longer be restrictions on banks in Hong Kong in establishing renminbi accounts for and providing related services to financial institutions; and individuals and corporations will be able to conduct renminbi payments and transfers through the banks."
The Canada Border Services Agency has concluded, effective July 16, 2010, a re-investigation to adjust the antidumping normal values for certain hot-rolled carbon steel plate, carbon steel plate, and high-strength low-alloy plate, variously, originating in or exported from China, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Ukraine. A complete response was only submitted by Azovstal and the Metinvest Group of Companies (Azovstal) from Ukraine. As a result, Azovstal has been provided with updated normal values. Normal values for all other exporters will be based on the export price of the goods advanced by 80.2% (China), 74.6% (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Romania), and 21.3% Ukraine.
China's Ministry of Commerce reports that benefiting from the full completion of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), bilateral trade between China and ASEAN in the first half of this year grew 54.7% while the average growth of Chinese foreign trade in the same period was 43.1%.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products which may be considered technical barriers to trade and are therefore required to be reported to the World Trade Organization, which distributes the information to WTO Member countries.