Global Knowledge®

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has targeted senior leadership of the Kongra-Gel, designating them as significant foreign narcotics traffickers.  Pursuant to the Kingpin Act, this designation freezes any assets the three designees may have under US jurisdiction and prohibits US persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals.

INDIA: South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) preferential duty rates have been updated, affecting various products across the tariff.

TAIWAN: HTS numbers have been added and deleted for catheters and acupuncture needles.  The following HTS chapter is affected: 90.

VIETNAM: Chapters across the tariff have been affected by the modification of the General rate, as well as the introduction of the Vietnam-Japan EPA duty rates.

China feels that the US and three other countries/regions have dumped Nylon 6 on their market, and that these imports have caused substantial damage to the domestic sector.  As a result, China will impose a 36% tariff, or “security deposit,” on Nylon 6 (polycaprolactam) imported from the US.  (The EU, Russia, and Taiwan will be subject to a lesser tariff.)  This new charge is apparently in response to the US’ recent imposition of 35% additional duties on Chinese tires.  Nylon 6 is widely used in the manufacture of hosiery, knitted garments, threads, ropes, filaments, nets, and tire cords.

In order to widen their coverage of the Middle East, Maersk Line will add port calls to several of its Asia-Europe services.  The following changes will take place in mid-December:

• AE7: Salalah will be added to West Med and North Europe
• AE1: New connections from Northern Europe to Jebel Ali and Jebel Ali to Asia

The ME3 Service (which covers the Mediterranean, South Asia, and the Middle East) will be withdrawn temporarily.  Middle East ports will continue to be offered via the following services: AE1, AE6, AE7, AE11, and ME1.

The EU has updated Tariff rate quotas pertaining to the import quotas of rice.  The following HTS chapter is affected: 10.

Colombia has made HTS changes in accordance with the 2009 Tariff Schedule.  The only product affected by this update is Polyurethane.  The following HTS chapter is affected: 54.

Evergreen Line and China Shipping will commence a joint weekly service linking ports in Asia to locations in the American and Canadian Pacific Northwest.  The PNW Service will call the following ports: Ningbo, Shanghai, Kaohsiung, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Pusan, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, Tokyo, and Osaka.

The EU has added 24 denied parties, while 60 have been modified.  The US has added 9 denied parties and deleted 29.

The United States has made changes to its Anti Dumping and Countervailing duties.  Updates made to these import controls affect many products across the tariff.

Maersk has announced the launch of an improved KNSM rotation.  In order to enhance its coverage of Scandinavia, Maersk will add Helsingborg as a port of call to the North European loop.  Starting in early November, port rotation will include the following locations: Casablanca, Agadir, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Helsingborg, and Antwerp.

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