News Analysis India

Tag: coronaviruses

  • Japan Reports First Case Of New Variant From South Africa, Air Travel Suspended

    Japan on December 28 detected one case of the new coronavirus variant 501.V2 from South Africa, the government announced in a statement. Several cases of the new highly transmissible coronavirus variant spreading in the UK have been already found in the country in people who had recently arrived from the UK. According to sources of local broadcaster Japan Times, the case of the South Africa variant had been identified in a woman in her 30s who arrived in Japan on Dec. 19. Health officials said that the variant might be responsible for the sudden surge in the coronavirus outbreak across Japan. 

    Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a press conference that with the new year holidays ahead and the understaffed hospitals, the ministers had to remain alert. Further, he suspended new entries of the nonresident foreign nationals into Japan with immediate effect to curb the spread from the ‘dangerously transmissible’ coronavirus variant. He said that the new travel restrictions were aimed to protect Japan’s citizens’ lives and livelihoods, by taking measures in advance to forestall the spread of the new variant. 

  • Australia Calls China’s Anti-dumping Tariffs On Wine Imports ‘unwarranted’ Amid Tensions

    On November 27, China said that it would impose anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine, a move which is likely to further escalate trade and diplomatic tension between Beijing and Canberra. In recent months, China and Australia’s relations have deteriorated, with the latter even calling for an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus. In response, Beijing has imposed a series of sweeping trade and reprisals this year. 

    Amid the rising tensions, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Friday informed that the recent anti-dumping deposits will take effect November 28 and the importers bringing in investigated products will need to pay deposits to China’s customs authority, which will be calculated based on the different rates the authority has assigned to various companies. According to Bloomberg, the rates range from 107.2 per cent to 212.1 per cent

    China is one of the biggest buyers of Australian wine. In response to the recent announcement, Australia said that it would seek WTO intervention to defend itself from the tariffs, which Trade Minister Simon Birmingham labelled “grossly unfair, unwarranted, unjustified”. He also warned that China’s actions might create a perception among businesses and countries around the globe that trade with Beijing can be risky.