The world's largest blue-and-white porcelain plate was officially certified by Guinness World Records on Friday in Jingdezhen, an east China city renowned for its rich ceramic traditions.
The plate measures an impressive 2.48 meters in diameter and weighing approximately 500 kilograms. It features intricate hand-painted depictions of nine historical cultural landmarks from Jingdezhen, artistically showcasing the city's journey from porcelain production to international distribution.
The challenging creation of this massive porcelain plate was a collaborative effort involving five skilled artisans who worked together for a total of 1,080 hours.
Jingdezhen, often referred to as the "Porcelain Capital", boasts a history of ceramic production that spans over 2,000 years. Historically significant as a royal workshop, the city has elevated porcelain craftsmanship to unprecedented heights. Today, Jingdezhen stands as China's only national ceramic culture inheritance and innovation pilot zone with an extensive network of supply chains and state-of-the-art facilities.
The 2024 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo started Saturday and will run through Tuesday. The event will host over 1,100 ceramic enterprises from 12 countries and regions, attracting professional buyers from nearly 50 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative for procurement and brand engagement.
World's largest blue-and-white porcelain plate certified in Jingdezhen
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.
Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.
Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.
CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.
The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.
Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.
U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses
U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses
