The Council of the European Union on Sept. 29 adopted a revised carbon border adjustment mechanism that's expected to exempt 90% of European importers from the new rules, representing the final hurdle before the rules can take effect.
The European Commission on Sept. 26 imposed antidumping duties on hot-rolled flat products of iron, and non-alloy or other-alloy steel from Egypt, Japan and Vietnam. The duties will apply for five years at rates of 11.7% for Egypt, 6.9% to 30% for Japan, and 12.1% for Vietnam. The duties that were provisionally imposed since April 7, 2024, "will not be collected retroactively," the commission said. In the AD investigation, goods from India also were also investigated, but the probe was "terminated without the imposition of duties, because it was not established that Indian imports were dumped."
The EU is again postponing implementation of its new deforestation reporting requirements, proposing a one-year delay because its IT system isn't ready to handle all the transactions for products covered by the regulation, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told the European Parliament Sept. 23.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a new general license last week that allows the government's revenue and customs agency to make certain payments to the frozen bank account of a person sanctioned under U.K. authorities. The revenue agency also may "set-off" the "amount of any Permitted Payment (as a credit) against any liability of the same UK [sanctioned person] to pay an amount to that Revenue Authority (as a debit)." The license took effect Sept. 26.
The U.K. this week published two new guidance documents that track exceptions and previous amendments to its Russia sanctions regime. The guidance allows users to search through a list of all Russia sanctions exceptions that the U.K. has introduced, as well as a list of the "statutory instruments" that have made changes to those sanctions and descriptions of the changes made.
The EU and Indonesia concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement, the European Commission announced Sept. 22. The EU said the deals are a "key milestone" in "strengthening trade and investment ties with a major economy" and "creating new export opportunities and more secure supply chains for energy and raw materials."
The European Commission on Sept. 23 imposed antidumping duties on glyoxylic acid from China. The duties, which range from 29.2% to 124.9%, follow an investigation that found that glyoxylic acid from China is harming the EU industry. Glyoxylic acid is primarily used in the "pharmaceutical, food, fertiliser and cosmetics industries," the commission said.
The U.K. this week published a new "starter guide" for its sanctions programs and laws, including information on who must comply with sanctions; sanctions lists and sanctions screening; ownership and control standards; exceptions and licensing; sanctions circumvention; carrying out due diligence; and more.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation published a new license last week that authorizes certain transactions related to news media services. The license allows the provision of "goods or services" that "are necessary for the provision of News Media Services," along with activities that are "reasonably necessary to effect the receipt or provision of News Media Services, including making or receiving Permitted Payments." The license also authorizes U.K. financial institutions to process those payments.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and President Donald Trump discussed how to "decisively increase the pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin "to get him to agree to a peace deal."