Some ASEAN countries have adjusted their customs clearance management policies

　　1. Singapore

　　(1) Amend the prohibition on the export, transit and transit of goods from or through Singapore to Haiti and Somalia

　　Under section 6(1)(b) of the Import and Export Ordinance, it is prohibited to import, export, transhipment or transit in Singapore any goods that contravenes a decision of the United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations (UNSCR)。

　　With the adoption of UN Security Council resolutions 2699(2023) on Haiti and 2173(2023) and 2174(2023) on Somalia，Singapore has updated the relevant attached tables，Article 6(2)(c) of the Regional Implementation and Evaluation Report was also reconsidered，To renew a ban imposed by the UN Security Council。The updated ban has been published in the Import and Export Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2024。The update incorporates amendments to the ban and editorial amendments that will take effect on July 26, 2024。

　　Traders should note that the relevant annex forms prohibit the export, transit and transit of nitric and sulfuric acid to Somalia and are read in conjunction with section 6(2)(c) of the Regional Implementation Regulations。For more information on UN Security Council sanctions, visit:http://www.customs.gov.sgYou can also view the subsidiary legislation at Singapore Regulations online:sso.agc.gov.sg。

　　2, revise the relevant management provisions of export food consignment declaration

　　近日，The Food Board of Singapore amended the Declaration for Consignment of food for export，The revised declaration will come into effect on 1 July 2024，All fields on the declaration form are required，Including the specific information of the shipper, the specific information of the manufacturer, the production date of the export product, the shelf life and the batch number，Exporters are also required to verify the current requirements in the destination country，Ensure export goods comply with the standards and regulations of the destination country。

　　Ii. Thailand

　　FDA issues Medical device Quality System regulations

　　The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the Ministry of Public Health's Circular on Good Manufacturing Practices B.E. 2566 (GMP Notification) and Ministry of Public Health Notification on Good import and marketing practices B.E. 2566 (GISP Notification)。

　　From July 2024, new manufacturers of medium to high risk medical devices will have to meet the standards set out in the GMP notification (including the need to obtain a GMP certificate, a Thai Standard for Conformity Assessment (TCAS) 13485 certificate or an ISO 13485 certificate).。Manufacturers of low-risk medical devices and animal medical devices will also be required to improve their production facilities to comply with the quality system required for GMP notification (no GMP certificate, TCAS 13485 certificate or ISO 13485 certificate required).。

　　According to GMP notification，Manufacturers of medium to high risk medical devices that received a previous standard GMP certificate before July 2024 can continue to operate while complying with the new standard，No new GMP certificate required，However, a new required certificate must be obtained within the given grace period，Such as TCAS 13485 certificate, ISO 13485:2016 "Medical device quality management system for regulatory requirements" certificate。

　　According to the GISP circular, importers and sellers of medical devices must begin to establish their quality systems for importing and selling medical devices。By January 2029, all importers and sellers of medical devices must comply fully with the GISP notification。

　　Us legislation to strengthen the safety of lithium batteries for micro mobile devices

　　The U.S. Senate recently issued a second reading bill, the Lithium-ion Battery Consumer Standards Development Act (H.R. 1797), which aims to set strict consumer product safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in tiny mobile devices。The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 15 and was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation。

　　The bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue final safety standards within a year for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micro-mobility devices such as electric bicycles and e-scooters。The move is aimed at preventing fire risks caused by batteries and ensuring consumer safety。

　　The new standard will cover the full range of equipment related to lithium-ion batteries, including battery chargers, charging cables, external terminals for battery packs and micro mobile devices, as well as independent charging stations。The CPSC will determine the types of products subject to the standard, ensure that these products fall within the Commission's jurisdiction and are essential to preventing fire risks。

　　In addition, the Act also gives the CPSC the right to modify standards when necessary to ensure that safety standards keep pace with technological innovation and market needs。Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the standards promulgated and their subsequent modifications will be part of the consumer product Safety Rules。

　　(Credit: tbtguide)

　　The South Korean government announced plans to foster the electric vehicle battery recycling industry

　　According to South Korea's "Newsis" reported on July 10，The South Korean government held a ministerial meeting on Economic relations on Wednesday and announced a plan to build a legal system infrastructure to foster the post-use battery industry.，The plan is to start in 2027，Implementation of end-of-life electric vehicle battery disassembly compulsory system，After the performance evaluation of the disassembled battery, it is treated and utilized for a second time。The treatment and utilization methods can be divided into three types: "remanufacturing" in which the battery performance is restored through repair and parts replacement and used again in electric vehicles, "reuse" in which the external energy storage device (ESS) of electric vehicles is used after repair and parts replacement, and "reuse" in which valuable metals such as lithium and nickel are recovered after the battery is broken down。The Ministry of Environment certifies the "recycled materials" of valuable metals that are "reused" by enterprises, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy certifies the proportion of recycled materials used in battery products。

　　South Korea's Environment ministry said it expects to generate more than 100,000 end-of-life electric vehicle batteries per year from 2030。In order to establish a battery life cycle information management system that covers battery manufacturing, operation of electric vehicles, end-of-life, post-use battery trading, distribution, and reuse, a policy committee will be set up within the year, and amendments will be made to the Environmental Protection Industry Law, the Resource Recycling Law including Electronic Products, and the Automobile Management Law。

　　(Source: South Korean "Nuasis")

　　The European Artificial Intelligence Act has come into force

　　The European Commission website reported on August 1 that the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence regulation, the European Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), officially entered into force on the same day。

　　The Act aims to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence developed and used in the EU by establishing safeguards to protect fundamental rights, establishing a harmonised internal market for artificial intelligence in the EU, promoting the development of the technology and creating an enabling environment for innovation and investment。

　　The bill also introduces rules for so-called universal AI models, which are powerful and increasingly being used as AI application components designed to perform a variety of tasks, such as generating text。The bill will ensure transparency throughout the value chain and address systemic risks that may exist with the most powerful models。

　　Member States have until 2 August 2025 to designate national authorities responsible for supervising the application of rules on AI systems and carrying out market surveillance activities。The European Commission's Office for Artificial Intelligence will be the main enforcement agency for AI legislation at the EU level, as well as the enforcer of the General AI model rules。

　　Most of the bill's rules would take effect on August 2, 2026。Companies that do not comply will be fined up to 7 percent of their global annual turnover for violating banned AI applications, 3 percent for breaching other obligations, and 1 percent for providing misinformation.5%。

　　(Source: Economic and Commercial Section, Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark)

　　In the second half of the year, FTA negotiations are planned to accelerate the conclusion of the Thai-EU free trade agreement

　　According to the World Journal recently reported，The International Trade Negotiation Office of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand actively promoted trade negotiations in the second half of this year，Strive to accelerate the completion of the Thai-Europe Free Trade Agreement negotiations within this year，It is also negotiating with the European Union, South Korea, Bhutan, and ASEAN-Canada，And promote negotiations to upgrade existing agreements;Develop plans to establish economic cooperation with the United Kingdom (UK) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)，Paving the way for future free trade agreements;Use the JTC Forum to discuss solutions to trade barriers，Identify ways for Thai businesses to use free trade agreements to expand trade and investment opportunities。

　　Thailand's FTA negotiations with the EU and EFTA countries are very challenging as new issues arise and require multi-faceted cooperation;However, if the negotiations can be successfully concluded, it will be an opportunity for Thai companies to further expand trade and investment in European countries。

　　In addition, Thailand is promoting negotiations to upgrade existing agreements to make them more modern and in line with current trade patterns, as well as to help facilitate trade for Thai businesses, such as the ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Goods (ATIGA), ASEAN-China, ASEAN-India, Thai-Peru, ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand。

　　At present, Thailand has signed 14 FTAs with 18 countries, and the 15th FTA, the Thai-Sri Lanka FTA, signed in February this year, is expected to come into force within this year。

　　In the past five months (January-May this year), Thailand's trade with 18 FTA partners amounted to $145.5 billion。Thailand's exports to FTA partners reached $70.9 billion, an increase of 2.4%;Thailand's imports from free trade Agreement trading partners were worth $74.6 billion, down 2.0%。

　　(Source: Trade Window of Consulate General in Khon Kaen)