Taiwan wants to begin negotiations on a free trade deal with the U.S., Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Aug. 12, in a speech for think tanks the Hudson Institute and the Center for American Progress. The president said a trade deal with the U.S. is among her priorities during her second term, saying it will help increase Taiwan’s supply chain security.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its sanctions entry for Bi Sidi Souleman, who leads a militia group in the Central African Republic (see 2008060019), an Aug. 13 notice said. It updated identifying information for Souleman.
The Chinese government is placing more of an emphasis on infiltrating U.S. companies and universities to steal export controlled technologies, said John Demers, the U.S. assistant attorney general for national security. China has increasingly turned to its intelligence agencies, such as the Ministry of State Security, to embed officials in U.S. institutions, Demers said.
The U.S. should stop restrictive trade measures against China, which are hindering the phase one trade deal between the two countries, China’s Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin told told reporters Aug. 13.
Due to human rights concerns, the European Union officially ended preferential import treatment on a range of Cambodian products, an Aug. 12 notice said. The move, set in motion in February, will affect about 20% of Cambodia’s exports to the EU, the notice said, which will now be subject to the EU’s general tariffs instead of the previous duty-free access. The move is expected to affect about $1 billion worth of Cambodian exports (see 2003030020), including garments, footwear and travel goods.
Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance on Sunday, Aug. 30, 4 a.m. to noon local time, an Aug. 12 notice said. The agency advised users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to usual 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. maintenance on Sundays.
Hong Kong’s Monetary Authority and Securities and Futures Commission warned entities to assess whether recent U.S. sanctions could affect them (see 2008070039), warning that financial institutions should be “fair” in dealing with their customers. The SFC Aug. 8 said entities should “carefully assess any legal, business and commercial risks that they may be exposed to.” The HKMA said institutions should “assess all risks involved and endeavour to treat customers fairly.”
China set inspection and quarantine requirements for imports of dairy products from Serbia, an Aug. 12 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. The notice outlines requirements for Serbian dairy production facilities and specifies which dairy products are allowed, including milk, cheese, cream, milk powders and milk formulas.
China’s General Administration of Customs issued new procedures to promote paperless customs operations for “transport vehicles” traveling between Hong Kong and Macao, an Aug. 11 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes details for electronic filing procedures, saying “there is no need to submit paper certificates for inspection.” The change is effective Dec. 1.
The U.S. and the United Kingdom completed a “positive” third round of trade negotiations, carried out over the past two weeks ended Aug. 7, and agreed to begin the fourth round next month, the U.K.’s Department for International Trade said in a notice Aug. 12. The negotiations included discussions on technical barriers to trade, rules of origin and trade remedies. U.K. Trade Secretary Liz Truss, in separate discussions, focused on U.S. retaliatory tariffs on U.K. products, including on Scotch whisky, the notice said. Truss said the tariffs are “unacceptable and continued to push for their immediate removal.” The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately comment.