After consecutive record-setting years, USDA said expectations for 2023 U.S. food exports to South Korea should be “tempered” because the country’s “modest” economic growth, declining exports and weakened technology sector have reduced consumer spending. But the December report also said the 2024 outlook is “more positive,” adding that it expects a combination of low tariffs, rising South Korean consumer income and Korea’s “well-established knowledge of American products” will help the U.S. remain the “top agricultural supplier into the market for many years to come.” The agency said U.S. food exporters should “regularly monitor South Korea’s economic situation and food trends and, where possible, improve on price offerings to counter product competition.”

The U.S. and South Korea held talks on a range of critical and emerging technology issues in Seoul late last week, part of an inaugural forum meant to improve cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum and more, the White House said.

China’s Ministry of Commerce criticized the U.S. government's recent sanctions against Chinese companies this week for illegally supplying Russia's military and defense industrial base (see 2312050046), saying the move is a "typical example of unilateral sanctions," which undermine international trade rules and affects the security of supply chains. China is "strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this,” the ministry said, according to an unofficial translation. The news release called for an immediate cessation of the sanctions, adding that China will "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises."

One day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told AFP that the bloc won't "tolerate" a trade imbalance with China, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China has never sought a trade surplus with Europe and pushed back on the notion that the trading relationship has hurt the EU.

Chinese drone-maker Autel Robotics hasn’t received any “inquiries” from U.S. government officials investigating whether the company should be placed on the Entity List, an Autel spokesperson said in a Dec. 1 email. The spokesperson said Autel is “solely dedicated to the development and production of civilian drones,” despite a letter last week to the Biden administration from leaders of the House Select Committee on China saying the company is affiliated with China’s military (see 2312010012). The letter asked the administration to add Autel to the Entity List and subject it to U.S. investment restrictions.

Although strong beef demand in Vietnam has resulted in increased imports over the past few years, including from India and Hong Kong, that hasn't benefited U.S. beef exporters because of high tariff rates, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The agency said American exporters face “tariff disadvantages” in the Vietnamese market, noting the U.S. is Vietnam’s “only major trading partner” without a free trade deal.

India recently introduced a new import management system designed to monitor data surrounding imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Nov. 24. Effective Nov. 1, importers must report in the new system the quantity and value of those imports, along with imports of “related spare parts," HKTDC said. The system was unveiled after the country scrapped plans to place new import licensing requirements on certain computers (see 2308030074), the report said, which drew backlash from the U.S. and other countries (see 2308170028).

The Indonesian government recently instructed its National Logistics Agency to import 500,000 metric tons of corn, which is expected to arrive before the end of this year, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The increased corn imports are meant to “soften the impact of higher commodity prices” due to an expected weather-related decline in Indonesian corn production, USDA said. The agency warned that high corn prices and the strong dollar may “hinder” Indonesia’s plan to import more corn, adding that it expects the country’s corn imports to increase by 20% to 1.2 million metric tons of corn for the 2022/2023 season compared with the previous forecast of 1 million metric tons.

Taiwan recently notified the World Trade Organization that it invoked volume-based special safeguards on imports of other chicken cuts and pork belly, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. USDA said Taiwan exceeded the specified trigger levels for imports of both meats during the first nine months of the year, and Taiwan will impose additional tariffs, “equivalent to an additional one third of the normal duties” of 20% for WTO members, from Sept. 5 until Dec. 31. USDA said Taiwan imported 11,641.1 metric tons of other chicken cuts from January through September, 98% of which came from the U.S.

India recently extended its export restrictions on sugar indefinitely, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The trade restrictions were scheduled to last through Oct. 31 but have since been extended for an “indefinite period,” the agency said. “The export of sugar under the CXL concession quota with the United Kingdom and the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) with the United States are unaffected.”