China-Serbia: Free Trade Agreement
China and Serbia signed a free trade agreement on October 17, 2023. In order for the agreement to enter into force, the two sides must now complete their respective domestic procedures.
China: Update on Peanut Exporting Facility Registration Process
A recent USDA GAIN report provided an update on China’s requirements regarding the registration of facilities that export peanuts to China. The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine (DAPQ) requires that facilities that export peanuts (raw/uncooked, shelled or in-shell) be registered with GACC prior to product shipment.
EU: Amendment of Regulation on Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature and on Common Customs Tariff
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2364 of 26 September 2023 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on October 31, 2023. The amendment shall apply from January 1, 2024.
EU: Proposal for a Regulation on Combating Late Payment in Commercial Transactions
The European Commission has introduced a proposal for a regulation on combating late payment in commercial transactions. This regulation would cap payment terms at 30 days for B2B transactions.
Spain: First Spanish Companies Authorized to Export Almond Kernels to China
The agricultural cooperatives Unió Nuts and Dcoop have been approved by the Chinese government to export almond kernels to China, becoming the first Spanish companies authorized to do so. This milestone comes after the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement in March with the Chinese General Administration of Customs that sets out the conditions for exporting Spanish almonds to China.
US: Proposed Legislation to Help Farmers Fight Through Trade Barriers
On November 14, 2023, a bipartisan group of Congress members introduced a bill intended to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more specialty crops —including tree nuts and dried fruits— in foreign markets. The Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act (Specialty CROP Act) responds to continued high tariffs, burdensome labeling requirements and other trade barriers that restrict US products from accessing foreign markets.