India will establish “remote, anonymous assessments” of imported goods at all its ports as part of an effort to speed up customs clearance and reduce interaction between customs officials and import agents, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 6. The system, which begins Oct. 31, will prioritize remote and paperless customs clearance procedures, self-registration of goods by imports, automated clearance for bills of entry and the digitization of customs documents, the report said. It will allow documents to be assessed remotely by officers on a randomized basis, “ensuring both objectivity and the standardisation of entry criteria across the country,” HKTDC said. India decided to roll out the system countrywide after successfully testing it at ports in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai earlier this year, the report said.
China recently announced procedures for submitting automobile and motorcycle export license applications in 2021, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Oct. 6. Manufacturers must submit completed application forms, including details of “all their overseas after-sales repair centres and overseas workshops,” to their local commerce department, the report said. Manufacturers of “all-terrain vehicles” must also submit “quality management certificates” and other “relevant” certification to the importing jurisdiction.
The Commerce Department should reverse its decision to approve more than 455,000 pounds of graphite exports to China, Senate Democrats said, saying the material could be used to expand China’s missile forces. In an Oct. 5 letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, five senators said Commerce recently notified them of the sale, which may have a “dangerous end-use” in bolstering China’s military.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added 35 entries and revised five entries under its Belarus sanctions, an Oct. 5 notice said. The additions include Belarusian government, military and election officials, and the revisions add identifying information for certain individuals.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Oct. 6 extended a general license related to Petroleos de Venezuela and updated a frequently asked question. General License No. 5E, which replaced No. 5D (see 2007150018), authorizes certain transactions with PdVSA involving an 8.5% bond on or after Jan. 19, 2021. OFAC updated a Venezuela FAQ to reflect the change. The license was scheduled to expire Oct. 20.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued guidance Oct. 5 on the “see-through rule” -- a “colloquial phrase” that refers to the impact of controls under International Traffic in Arms Regulations. DDTC clarified the rule by stressing that ITAR controls and requirements do not “disappear simply because the defense article is integrated into another item.” If an ITAR-controlled component is integrated into a “larger system or end-item,” the component does “not lose its identity.” DDTC said “the ITAR ‘sees through’ the larger system or end-item and continues to regulate that defense article.”
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The State Department is working to improve its new online licensing system and wants to establish an industry working group to help the system run smoothly, said Karen Wrege, chief information officer at the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Wrege said she was surprised at how quickly industry acclimated to the Defense Export Control and Compliance System (see 2002040060 and 1905070055), which she said has made export licensing processes easier for those working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 60% of the total customs transactions in Dubai through the first half of this year took place through the authorized economic operator program, the United Arab Emirates city said Oct. 4. It said the program has played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for companies involved in importing food and medical supplies. Companies participating in the AEO program reported faster customs clearance and a “boost” to their “external trade,” Dubai Customs said. “The AEO program has significantly sped up trade transactions and supported the local supply chain,” said Eman Badr Al-Suwaidy, the director of Dubai’s Customs Valuation Department and head of the Dubai Customs AEO Program. “This is clearly manifested in the increased number of customs transactions carried out through the program.”
The Canada government issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 5 (some may also be given separate headlines):