Starting this month, these new foreign trade regulations will impact your business!

China and ASEAN sign protocol to upgrade Free Trade Area 3.0;

Mexico suspends tariff increases on 1,371 Chinese products;

Turkey restricts imports of three categories of Chinese e-commerce products;

EU officially announces REACH fee amendments;

EU issues PFAS ban on fire-fighting foam;

European Parliament passes amendments to the Waste Framework Directive;

Russia introduces national standards for reflective elements in children's clothing;

South Korea includes 54 categories of products, including air fryers and printers, under unified regulation;

India adjusts GST rates for some automotive products;

India postpones implementation of safety regulations for electrical and mechanical equipment;

Australia comprehensively upgrades energy efficiency standards for lighting products;

Algeria requires bank approval for imports;

Uzbekistan simplifies environmental certification procedures for newly imported cars;

Pakistan opens commercial imports of used cars;

UAE implements new mandatory certification rules for electric vehicles;

Saudi Arabia implements new freight regulations;

Philippines changes e-commerce trust mark to voluntary.

China and ASEAN sign protocol to upgrade Free Trade Area 3.0

On October 28, the Protocol to Upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) 3.0 was signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The upgraded FTA 3.0 covers nine areas: digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity, standards and technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, customs procedures and trade facilitation, competition and consumer protection, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and economic and technical cooperation. Following the signing of the Protocol, both sides will complete their respective domestic ratification procedures to promote its early entry into force and implementation.

Mexico suspends tariff increases on 1,371 Chinese products

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum officially announced at a daily press conference on October 9, 2025, that the Mexican Congress would temporarily suspend approval of the government's proposal to raise tariffs on 1,371 products from China and other Asian countries.

Mexico will consult with China and other Asian countries to assess the impact of the tariff increase proposal on bilateral trade and may modify tariff rates or exempt certain products to avoid trade retaliation.

In early September 2025, the Sheinbaum government submitted a tariff increase proposal to the Congress, aiming to raise tariffs on automobiles, textiles, clothing, plastics, steel, and other products to 50%.

Türkiye restricts imports of three categories of products from Chinese e-commerce platforms.

of three categories of products from Chinese e-commerce platforms.The Turkish Ministry of Trade has announced new restrictions on certain goods imported from some Chinese e-commerce platforms. Importing high-risk footwear, toys, and leather goods into Turkey via mail or courier under a "simplified customs declaration" method is now prohibited. This regulation will take effect on October 20, 2025.

In a statement, the Ministry of Trade said that the General Administration of Product Safety Inspection and the General Administration of Consumer Protection and Market Supervision conducted inspections and laboratory analyses on various products sold on some e-commerce platforms. Of the 182 products inspected, 148 failed to meet product safety standards and violated relevant regulations, resulting in a non-compliance rate of 81%.

In footwear, toys, and leather goods (bags and suitcases made of genuine and synthetic leather), the levels of toxic substances such as phthalates, lead, cadmium, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons far exceeded the legal limits.

The EU officially published the revised REACH fee bill.

On October 16, 2025, the Official Journal of the European Union officially published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2067, marking the final implementation of the revisions to the REACH Fees Regulation (EC) No 340/2008.

This regulation will come into effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal, meaning that administrative fees will be charged according to the latest fee standards from November 5, 2025.

The revisions concerning the SME identity verification process will have a transition period until February 5, 2027. This revision focuses on two core aspects: a structural adjustment to registration fees and a systemic reform of the identity verification procedures for SMEs.

Based on the cumulative inflation rate from 2021 to 2023, REACH registration fees will increase by 19.5%, but fees for SMEs will remain unchanged.

EU issues ban on PFAS fire-fighting foam

The European Commission recently published (EU) 2025/1988, formally amending Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation, adding restrictions on the use of perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foams.

This amendment will officially take effect on October 23, 2025, prohibiting the placement or use of any firefighting foam with a total PFAS concentration equal to or greater than 1 mg/L. This marks a crucial step forward for the EU in phasing out PFAS, a "permanent chemical."

The European Parliament adopted amendments to the Framework Directive on Waste.

On September 9, 2025, the European Parliament formally passed a legislative resolution revising the provisions related to textiles and food waste in the Waste Framework Directive.

Producers of textiles in the EU must, within 30 months of the Directive's entry into force, pay for the costs of their collection, sorting, and recycling through a new Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme established in each Member State. These provisions will apply to all producers, including those using e-commerce tools, regardless of whether they are established in or outside the EU. Micro-enterprises will have an additional year to comply with the EPR requirements.

The new regulations will cover products such as clothing and accessories, hats, footwear, blankets, sheets, and curtains. At the Parliament's initiative, EU countries may also establish EPR schemes for mattress manufacturers.