Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 in case they were missed.

Chinese technology companies and the country’s foreign ministry criticized the U.S.’s decision to add 28 Chinese entities to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, a move that could lead to countermeasures, China said. China denied the allegations in Commerce’s announcement that it was involved in human rights violations of the country's Uighur population and urged the U.S. to “immediately” withdraw the Entity List additions, which it called “serious violation[s]” of international norms. “China will continue to take firm and powerful measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said during an Oct. 8 press conference, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Information Technology Industry Council and 25 other trade groups, including groups from Africa, Asia, South America and Europe, have issued a position paper on what they'd like to see in the plurilateral E-Commerce Agreement at the World Trade Organization. The U.S. and China are both in these talks, and some are concerned that China will oppose what business groups describe as high-standard planks, such as prohibiting data localization and no restrictions on cross-border data flows.

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs detailed requirements for importing goods from the EU under the Common Transit Convention after a no-deal Brexit, in an update to its guidance document on transitional simplified procedures. For standard goods, the importer is required to keep records of the importation. For controlled goods, a simplified frontier declaration is required, though not before the goods enter the U.K. Instead, it must be submitted “before the goods leave the office of destination or authorised consignee.” The guidance does not apply to goods imported into Northern Ireland from Ireland, HMRC said.

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs on Oct. 7 updated its guidance on procedures for trading between Northern Ireland and Ireland after a no-deal Brexit. Beginning the day the U.K. leaves the EU, currently scheduled for Oct. 31, importers and exporters will have to file declarations for controlled or licensed goods between the U.K. constituent country and the EU member state, including for goods subject to excise duty, such as alcohol, tobacco and certain oils, HMRC said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 7 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Vietnam and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding on customs cooperation to increase customs training and promote trade, according to an Oct. 6 report in CustomsNews, the self-described “mouthpiece” of Vietnam Customs. The agreement, which includes “support, technical exchange, information exchange and training,” will lead to the “enhancement of trade relations between the two countries,” the report said. The agreement will also help Vietnam address transnational crime and involve training sessions on “searching ships, identifying key containers and managing intelligence,” the report said.

South Korea and Kyrgyzstan will increase trade and diversification in certain sectors to “resolve trade imbalance,” the two sides agreed during an Oct. 4 meeting, according to an unofficial translation of a South Korean press release. During the meeting, South Korea also requested that Kyrgyzstan “make efforts to create business-friendly environment in order to increase investment by” South Korean companies.

Japan is asking domestic companies for feedback as it looks to align its regulations with international rules in advanced technology sectors and other “new services,” the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in an Oct. 7 press release, according to an unofficial translation. Standardization will play a “major role” in “strengthening the international competitiveness of Japanese industries,” it said.

The U.S. is considering selling military goods to Greece as part of the defense cooperation agreement the two sides signed Oct. 4, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Speaking with reporters, Pompeo also said the U.S. plans to pitch U.S. companies on doing business with Greece, warned Greece about doing business with China and did not rule out the possibility of sanctions or other measures against Turkey if it begins offshore drilling near Cyprus.