In August 2023, new foreign trade regulations from multiple countries such as India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union began to take effect, covering various aspects such as trade bans, trade restrictions, and convenient customs clearance.
1.Starting from August 1, 2023, the State Administration for Market Regulation of Mobile Power Supplies, Lithium ion Batteries, and other products will be included in the 3C certification market. Starting from August 1, 2023, CCC certification management will be implemented for lithium-ion batteries, battery packs, and mobile power supplies. Starting from August 1, 2024, those who have not obtained CCC certification and marked with certification marks shall not be allowed to leave the factory, sell, import, or use them in other business activities. Among them, for lithium-ion batteries and battery packs used in electronic and electrical products, CCC certification is currently being carried out for lithium-ion batteries and battery packs used in portable electronic products; For lithium-ion batteries and battery packs used in other electronic and electrical products, CCC certification should be carried out in a timely manner when conditions are ripe.
2. The four major ports of Shenzhen Port have suspended the collection of port facility security fees. Recently, China Merchants Port (South China) Operation Center and Yantian International Container Terminal have issued notices announcing the suspension of port facility security fees from enterprises starting from July 10th. This move means that all four container terminals, including Shenzhen Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT), Shekou Container Terminal (SCT), Chiwan Container Terminal (CCT), and Mawan Port (MCT), have temporarily suspended the collection of port facility security fees.
3.Starting from August 21, the shipping company has announced on its official website that in order to continuously strive to provide customers with reliable and efficient services, a peak season surcharge (PSS) of $300/TEU will be levied on dry containers, refrigerated containers, special containers, and bulk cargo from Asia to South Africa from August 21, 2023 (loading date) until further notice.
4. The Suez Canal has recently announced a new toll reduction notice for "chemical and other liquid bulk" tankers in order to further promote the transportation of the Suez Canal. The toll reduction applies to oil tankers transporting from ports in the Gulf of America (west of Miami) and the Caribbean via the Suez Canal to ports in the Indian subcontinent and east Asia. The discount is determined by the location of the port where the ship stops, and ports from Karachi, Pakistan to Cochin, India can enjoy a 20% discount; Enjoy a 60% discount from the port east of Kochin to Port Klang in Malaysia; The highest discount for ships from Port Klang to the east is up to 75%. The discount applies to ships passing between July 1st and December 31st.
5. Brazil will implement new regulations on cross-border online shopping import tax starting from August 1st. According to the new regulations announced by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, orders generated on cross-border e-commerce platforms that have joined the Remessa Conform program of the Brazilian government and do not exceed $50 will be exempt from import tax. Otherwise, they will be subject to a 60% import tax. Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Finance of Pakistan has repeatedly stated that it will cancel the tax exemption policy for cross-border online purchases of $50 and below. However, under pressure from various parties, the Ministry has decided to strengthen supervision of major platforms while maintaining existing tax exemption rules.
6. The UK has issued a revised regulation on cosmetics regulation. Recently, the UK HSE official website officially released the UK REACH 2023 No.722 revised regulation, announcing that the transitional clause for UK REACH registration will be extended for three years on the existing basis. The regulation officially came into effect on July 19th. Starting from July 19th, the submission dates for registration dossiers of different tonnage substances will be extended to October 2026, October 2028, and October 2030, respectively. The UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation is one of the main legislation regulating chemicals in the UK, which stipulates that the production, sale, and import distribution of chemicals within the UK must comply with UK REACH regulations. The main content can be found at the following website:
http://chinawto.mofcom.gov.cn/article/jsbl/zszc/202307/20230703420817.shtml
7. TikTok launches an e-commerce short video platform in the United States that sells Chinese goods. TikTok will launch a new e-commerce business in the United States to sell Chinese goods to consumers. It is reported that TikTok will launch the plan in the United States in early August. TikTok will store and transport goods for Chinese merchants, including clothing, electronic products, and kitchen utensils. TikTok will also handle marketing, transactions, logistics, and after-sales services. TikTok is creating a shopping page similar to Amazon called "TikTok Shop Shopping Center".
8.On July 24th, the United States released the "Safety Standards for Adult Portable Bed Guardrails". The Consumer Product Safety Commission of the United States has determined that adult portable bed barriers (APBR) pose an unreasonable risk of injury and death. In order to address this risk, the committee has issued a rule under the Consumer Product Safety Act requiring APBR to comply with the requirements of the current APBR voluntary standards and make modifications. This standard will come into effect on August 21, 2023.
9. The new trade regulations in Indonesia will be implemented from August 1st, and all traders are required to store 30% of the export earnings (DHE SDA) from natural resources within Indonesia for at least 3 months. This regulation is issued for mining, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and will be fully implemented on August 1, 2023. This regulation is detailed in Indonesian Government Regulation No. 36 of 2023, which stipulates that all export earnings generated from natural resources, whether through production, processing, trade, or other means, must be complied with.
10. The European Union will ban chromium plated materials from 2024. The European Commission recently announced that the use of chromium plated materials will be completely banned from 2024. The main reason for this measure is that toxic chemicals released during the manufacturing process of chromium plated materials pose a serious threat to human health, with hexavalent chromium being a known carcinogen. This will face a "huge change" for the automotive industry, especially for high-end automakers who will have to accelerate their search for alternative solutions to address this challenge.
Post time: Aug-08-2023