The European Union filed a dispute with the World Trade Organization on April 2 over India’s “excess” duty rates for goods in the information and communications technology sector. The EU said India is levying tariffs on a range of products that should have no tariffs, including semiconductors, electrical transformers, telephone sets, microphones, circuits, wire and measuring instruments. The rates on those products “clearly exceed the bound rate” of 0 percent set in India’s Schedule of Concessions and Commitments implemented after the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the EU said. The tariff rates are “inconsistent with India's obligations” in the WTO, the EU said in its request for consultations.

In the April 10 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The Mexican Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit issued a notice April 10 amending its tax regulations related to the labeling of alcoholic beverages. According to a circular issued by the Confederation of Mexican Customs Broker Associations (CAAAREM), among the changes are new provisions on the digital printing of labels that must be adhered to alcoholic beverages, as well as on how to obtain them. The amended regulations also now include provisions on circumstances under which labelers may be prohibited from using digitally printed labels.

The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of April 10 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

China’s April 9 decision to lower taxes on certain imported goods likely won’t have a large impact on imports or trade, according to an expert on China business. The move, announced by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, will reduce the tax rate on certain goods -- such as books, computers, food, furniture and medicine -- from 15 percent to 13 percent. It will also reduce import tax rates on other products, including sporting goods, textiles and electronic appliances, from 25 percent to 20 percent (see 1904080006).

The U.S. Grains Council is asking China to eliminate antidumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on American distillers grains, according to a report from Reuters. China’s Ministry of Commerce will review the request and the tariffs on the grains, an animal feed ingredient, according to the report.

China is trying to stem coal imports by setting its 2019 import cap at 2018 levels, hoping to support domestic production, according to a report from Reuters. China, which the report said is the world’s largest coal consumer, made the decision after Chinese mining companies and “provincial governments” voiced opposition to more coal imports. Two purchase managers at Chinese steel mills told Reuters they were instructed by Customs to “control the purchase pace of imported coal” as Chinese domestic coal output is expected to rise by 100 million tons in 2019. The decision was made by China’s State Council, the report said. China imported about 280 million tons of coal in 2018, but “barely allowed” coal imports in December in an effort to meet a 2018 import quota that restricted imports to 2017 levels, Reuters said. Despite this, China still exceeded that quota by more than 10 million tons, according to the report. China Customs is expected to separate the 2019 coal quota into monthly volumes, Reuters said.

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to add to the Unverified List 50 entities with addresses in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thirty-seven of the 50 additions are located in China. The agency's final rule also removes 10 entities and adds one address for a person currently on the list. The Unverified List includes entities for which the U.S. government failed to complete satisfactory end-use checks, and therefore could not verify the entities' bona fides. Additions to the list are as follows:

Chinese Customs is requiring traders to declare dutiable royalties on customs forms within 30 days of payment effective May 1, according to a notice from KPMG. The notice called the announcement “one of the important measures taken by China Customs to enhance trade facilitation promoted by [the] World Customs Organization.”

Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy recently posted a new webpage with information on its scheme to validate compliance with Mexican product standards at the time of entry, said the Latin American Confederation of Customs Brokers (CLAA) in an April 8 circular. Under regulations issued in October, imports subject to some Mexican standards will be denied entry into Mexico beginning June 3, 2019, if they are not accompanied by a certificate of compliance previously entered into an automated system by the third-party certifier, the circular said.