Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) proposed a new Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS) for “finger jointed lumber” used for studs, furring strips and reinforcement rafters...
Attaché Report (GAIN)

India: COVID-19 Impact on Indian Forest Products Sector

The Indian forest products industry has been hit hard by COVID-19 and the resulting nationwide lockdown as demand from the construction, real estate, hospitality, and tourism sectors...
This report provides an unofficial translation of Decree 102/2020/ND-CP regulating the Vietnam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS), issued on September 01, 2020.
The production of timber is forecast to decrease by 20 percent to 12.4 million Metric Tons (MT) in the 2020/21 Marketing Year (MY), based on the decrease in area planted, fire damage...
On April 23, 2020, in response to COVID-19 air travel disruptions, Japan notified the World Trade Organization via G/SPS/N/JPN/755 that Japan would temporarily accept electronic copies...
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Japan: JAS Program Supports Domestic Lumber

In 2019, Japan’s Forestry Agency (FA) developed the Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS) Structural Wood Expansion Program, a $22 million support program for JAS-graded structural wood products.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Hong Kong: Macau Food Retail Industry

In 2019, Macau’s retail food sector sales rose 7.3 percent to US$613 million, a positive growth trend forecast to continue, especially in segments where U.S. products have strong prospects...
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Tanzania: FAIRS Export Certificate Report

This report compliments the FAIRS Country Annual Report and provides information on certificates required by the Government of Tanzania (GoT) to export food and agricultural products into Tanzania.
On February 21, 2020, the State Council Customs Tariff Commission (SCCTC) announced two tariff exclusion lists for certain U.S. products subject to Section 301 retaliatory duties.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

China: China Announces a New Round of Tariff Exclusions

On February 18, 2020, China announced a new round of tariff exclusions for U.S. agricultural commodities impacted by the retaliatory Section 301-tariffs levied by China.
On January 21, 2020, China notified 642 maximum residue limits (MRLs) on 65 pesticides in food to the World Trade Organization SPS Committee as G/SPS/N/CHN/1149.
On February 6, 2020, the State Council Tariff Commission announced that China would cut in half the additional tariffs for certain commodities from the United States on February 14, 2020.