On June 12, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)s Dalian - India - Malaysia route was officially launched and put into operation at the Dalian Port. This is another Asian regional route laid out by MSC based on the Southeast Asia route PERTIWI launched in 2022. This time, it is planned to deploy 6 container ships of 2,500 - 3,500 TEU, call at the main ports of RCEP member countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, and provide customers with direct - sailing services from the Dalian Port to Semarang, the third - largest port in Indonesia.
In order to further promote economic and trade exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Goods Trade Agreement under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, the General Administration of Customs has revised the origin criteria for HS Code 0902.30 in Annex 1 of Announcement No. 39 of the General Administration of Customs in 2022. The new criteria will come into effect on July 1, 2023.
Recently, the EU issued Notification G/SPS/N/EU/631, amending and correcting Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2292 concerning requirements for honey, meat, highly refined products, gelatin capsules, and aquatic products entering the EU. Below are the main amendments:
Data recently released by the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first five months of this year, Chinas total value of imports and exports reached 16.77 trillion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 4.7%. Among them, exports were 9.62 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.1%; imports were 7.15 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.5%; and the trade surplus was 2.47 trillion yuan, an expansion of 38%.
The latest news shows that the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) - a regional multilateral trade clearing institution composed of nine Asian countries - plans to launch a new cross - border financial settlement system in June this year. This system is regarded as an alternative to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.
Recently, the pressure from the US supply chain crisis has further intensified. On one hand, nearly 130,000 US truck drivers have been banned from driving due to drugged driving, with a significant portion of those who failed the test not participating in return-to-work programs, resulting in continued severe driver shortages in the trucking industry. On the other hand, a new round of strike actions by West Coast port workers has disrupted cargo operations at major US West Coast ports, with some ports even closed due to the strikes.
On May 17, 2023, local time Wednesday, the European Commission officially released the proposal titled EU Customs Reform: A Data-Driven Vision for a Simpler, Smarter, and Safer Customs Union, marking the most comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Union since its establishment in 1968.