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This report should be read in conjunction with the EU-27 Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report written by the U.S. Mission to the EU. This report focuses on the import regulations and standards that are not harmonized at the EU-level or where Belgium varies.

Belgium is a Member State of the European Union (EU) and applies the certification requirements described in the European Union Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certification Report. Products not yet harmonized are subject to Belgian national rules.

Israel is an advanced, market-oriented economy. However, its limited land and water resources preclude agricultural self-sufficiency, which affects local production costs and consumer prices.

On September 20, 2022, the China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), the National Health Commission (NHC), and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly published Announcement No. 594 containing the National Food Safety Standard of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 41 Veterinary Drugs in Foods (GB 31650.1-2022) and 21 standards of methods for determination of veterinary drug residues.

On August 23, 2022, the Sri Lankan government temporary suspended the import of 26 agricultural products. The Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations No. 13 (2022) is a quantitative import restrictive measure.

On January 13, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) published a finalized updated “Guideline for Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants.”

On January 13, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) announced the issuance of new and renewed biosafety certificates for genetically engineered (GE) events.

On January 6, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified on its public website, Direction STD/SP-08/A1.2022/N-01-Part(I).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (food safety authority) has just inserted additional harmonized tariff system (HS) food product codes to the FSSAI Order No. 1829/Health Certificate/FSSAI/Imports-2021 of December 28, 2022.

On January 10, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an order pertaining to FSSAI Order TIC-20012/2/2021-IMPORTS-FSSAI (E-2475), extending for a second time, the effective compliance date.

China will continue to collect countervailing (CVD) and antidumping (AD) duty duties on imported Distiller’s Dried Grains with or without Solubles (DDGS) from the United States for five more years.

Egypt has notified new halal requirements and procedures for food products to the World Trade Organization (WTO) via a Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) addendum notification. The notification postpones the halal certification requirement on milk and dairy products until April 1, 2023.