South Africa Implements New Customs Requirements for China Zero-Tariff Scheme
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) introduced new customs procedures on September 4 for goods traded under China’s Zero-Tariff Trade Scheme, which provides zero-tariff treatment for eligible South African exports to China subject to rules-of-origin requirements and forms part of a temporary arrangement pending a wider China-Africa economic partnership framework. Traders are now required to declare the additional […]
The Netherlands Bans Import of Goods From Israeli Settlements
As of September 22, 2026, the Netherlands will prohibit the import, purchase, and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territories, as defined by a list of postal codes drawn up by the European Commission. The ban, published in July in the country’s official gazette, prohibits the import of goods from Israeli settlements; the […]
EU Extends Suspension of Rebalancing Measures on US Goods
On July 31, 2026, the European Commission published an implementing resolution extending the suspension of rebalancing measures that provided for additional customs duties on the import of certain US goods into the EU. The rebalancing measures had originally been adopted in July 2025, in the context of a trade dispute with the US and the threat of […]
Canada Imposes Retaliatory Tariffs on US$20 Billion of US Goods; Nuts and Dried Fruits Unaffected for Now
Canada has responded to Washington’s latest duties with retaliatory tariffs on around US$20 billion of annual US imports, matching the measures dollar-for-dollar, as reported by Reuters. The counter-tariffs take effect on September 8 and impose duties of 15%, 25% and 50% across roughly 700 products, after President Donald Trump’s new 50% tariffs on US$20 billion of […]
China Imposes Provisional Anti-Dumping Measures on US and Mexican Pecans
China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a preliminary ruling in its anti-dumping investigation into pecans from the United States and Mexico. According to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN report, importers have been required to post security deposits with Chinese Customs since August 11, 2026, with rates ranging from 17.8% to 51.6% for Mexican companies and a […]
Andhra Pradesh Warns Farmers to Prepare for Severe Water Stress
Farmers in Andhra Pradesh have been urged to prepare for worsening water stress driven by El Niño, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu warning of a rainfall deficit of around 36% between June and December 2026. According to the New Indian Express, the state was expected to receive about 867 mm of rainfall over the […]
Reduced Irrigation Strategy Increases Peanut Yields in Drought-Prone Soils
New research carried out in the Philippines has found that strategically timed irrigation combined with a super water absorbent can improve peanut productivity while substantially reducing water use in highly permeable, drought-prone soils. The study, published in Plant Growth Regulation, assessed peanut production in lahar-derived sandy loam soils and compared conventional irrigation with reduced-irrigation strategies designed to […]
Indian Project Turns Cashew Residues Into Marine Fuel
An Indian climate-tech project is turning cashew waste into renewable products, including marine biofuel. As reported by the Economic Times, Indo-Danish startup MASH Makes uses pyrolysis to convert cashew press cakes into bio-oil, biochar and syngas. The raw bio-oil is subsequently processed to produce a more stable, non-corrosive fuel that can be blended with conventional marine fuels, […]
New Financing for Drought Resilience and Land Restoration Announced at COP17
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), held in August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, highlighted new efforts to mobilize financing for drought resilience and land restoration. The UNCCD and Luxembourg launched the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), which aims to mobilize up to US$400 million in public and […]
EY Report Sheds Light on Revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards
On July 3, 2026, the European Commission adopted the Delegated Act on the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The revised ESRS preserve the key pillars of sustainability reporting—including reporting on material impacts, risks and opportunities, and related actions, policies, metrics and targets across environmental, social and governance topics. At the same time, they introduce […]