A number of new foreign trade regulations have been quietly implemented in May, bringing new opportunities and challenges to the development of foreign trade companies. Foreign Trade Cloud will help foreign trade companies achieve take-off in foreign trade marketing, promotion and exports.
In terms of new domestic and foreign trade policies, first of all, my country will implement zero tariffs on all African countries that have diplomatic relations with it from May 1.
The Tariff Commission of the State Council issued an announcement on April 28 that from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, 20 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China and are not least developed countries will implement zero tariffs in the form of preferential rates.
For products with tariff quotas, only the tariff rate within the quota is reduced to zero, and the tariff rate outside the quota remains unchanged.
During the two-year implementation period, China will continue to promote the negotiation and signing of economic partnership agreements for common development with relevant African countries.
This policy will greatly promote trade between China and Africa and provide more favorable conditions for Chinese enterprises to explore the African market.
Secondly, the newly revised Maritime Law will come into effect on May 1, 2026.
This is the first systematic revision of the law since its implementation in 1993.
Among them, Article 93 on the determination of liability for unavailable goods at the unloading port has been significantly adjusted. The principle of “consignee bears responsibility” that has been in place for more than 30 years will be followed and will be fully shifted to “shipper’s first responsibility”.
This change will have an important impact on the distribution of responsibilities and operating models of relevant companies, and companies need to understand and adapt to this change in a timely manner.
Furthermore, the General Administration of Customs has adjusted the items declared in the export declaration form.
In order to further standardize the declaration behavior of shippers of export goods, the General Administration of Customs decided to adjust the relevant items of the export goods declaration form and add the “Prohibition and Restriction Control Identification Code” and “Prohibition and Restriction Control Declaration Elements” declaration items. The above declaration items are conditionally required. Specific filling instructions can be found at the “China International Trade Single Window”.
In addition, China has suspended the export of general industrial sulfuric acid and smelting by-product sulfuric acid from May 1.
In order to ensure the urgent supply of domestic spring plowing fertilizers and basic industrial production, and stabilize the domestic industrial chain supply chain, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued a control announcement in April 2026. From the effective date to December 31, 2026, the export of general industrial sulfuric acid and smelting by-product sulfuric acid will be completely suspended. Only electronic-grade high-purity sulfuric acid can be released in small quantities after special approval.
At the same time, strict supervision will be implemented on sulfuric acid exports, and violations will be severely punished in accordance with laws and regulations.
In terms of the new foreign trade policy, the EU –
The Southern Common Market Agreement temporarily came into effect on May 1. The agreement covers 27 EU countries and the Southern Common Market (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), forming a large-scale free trade area covering a population of 780 million.
After the agreement comes into effect, products from both parties that comply with the rules of origin can enjoy preferential tariff treatment, which is conducive to the expansion of bilateral trade.
The United States began to adjust the ad valorem tariffs imposed on imported steel, aluminum, copper and related derivatives from April 6, and the tariff rates on some products have been reduced.
India has exempted some products from tariffs for a limited time of three months, covering four core categories including basic chemical intermediates and general plastics.
Vietnam’s new regulations to reduce 36 import and export administrative procedures have officially come into effect. The core focus is on optimizing the issuance process of Certificate of Origin (C/O), greatly simplifying the application process and shortening the approval time.
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is expected to officially come into effect, and the UK will implement zero tariffs on 99% of India’s tariff items.
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Enterprises joining the Foreign Trade Cloud will be able to better adapt to these new regulations, seize new opportunities for foreign trade development, and jointly create a bright future for foreign trade development.
