Ho Pui-shan (Louise Ho) became Hong Kong’s new Commissioner of Customs and Excise on October 21. During the press conference [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVjSzsTXVo] (link in Cantonese) with media after taking the position, she mentioned combatting smuggling as one of the tasks of her agency, including

On October 18, China’s General Administration of Customs issued a notice [http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/2480148/3960106/index.html] (link in Chinese) that would allow imports of beef from Russia if certain requirements are met. It is an implementation of the Protocol on the Inspection, Quarantine

China’s General Administration of Customs issued a notice [http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/2480148/3957631/index.html] (link in Chinese) on September 18 to allow the importation of breeding pigs from Ireland, effective immediately. This is a result of the Protocol on the Quarantine and Sanitary Conditions

The Brazilian government is reportedly anxious about renewing its beef trade with China after a suspension of Brazilian exports due to cases of mad cow disease. It seems as though China is taking longer than expected to resolve the issue with its Brazilian counterparts. Brazil is a major source of

China’s Customs agency recently announced that it would suspend imports of some beef products from the United Kingdom and Mongolia, as well as some pork products from Haiti, due to sanitary concerns. All three documents were issued on September 29 and took effect immediately. According to one announcement [http:

After China imposed an import suspension on two types of Taiwanese fruit last week, Taiwanese officials warned of challenging this decision at the WTO. This challenge could simply be raising the issue in a WTO Committee, but if it turns into a formal dispute, it would be the first WTO

On July 20, the United States made another submission [https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/G/SPS/GEN1943.pdf&Open=True] to the SPS Committee targeting China’s trade restrictive measures taken as a response to COVID-19. In the submission, which is the U.