The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade published guidance July 29 on applying for a trade remedies investigation. Starting Aug. 5, the U.K.’s Trade Remedies Directorate will accept applications to investigate imports “causing or threatening injury” to U.K. industry, the guidance said. But the U.K. clarified that the directorate can investigate imports only in cases in which there is already a European Union investigation taking place and will not be able to investigate other imports until after the Brexit transition period ends on Jan. 1, 2021.

The European Commission extended its customs duties and value-added tax exemptions on imports of medical equipment to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a July 23 notice said. The exemptions, “uninterrupted” through Oct. 31, apply to masks, protective equipment, testing kits, ventilators and “other medical equipment.” The EU in April applied the exemptions for six months with retroactive effect, from Jan. 30 until July 31 (see 2004030016).

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade on July 27 issued a list of controlled imports from the European Union. The U.K. clarified that importers of the goods must follow import declaration requirements, effective Jan. 1, following the U.K.'s official departure from the EU. The list contains more than 20 broad categories of goods, including excise goods such as alcohol and tobacco, controlled drugs, plant products, military items, certain weapons and fishery products.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International trade on July 24 updated its overseas business risk for Bolivia. The guidance covers human rights, corruption and intellectual property issues for companies trading with Bolivia and includes a section on available U.K. export financing for shipments to the country.

Spain and France announced that Airbus is going to repay subsidy launch loans at market rates -- Germany and the United Kingdom have already been paid back -- and the European Commission said July 24 that this “removes any grounds for the U.S. to maintain its countermeasures on EU exports and makes a strong case for a rapid settlement of the long-running dispute.” The World Trade Organization ruled last year that Airbus and the four countries were not in compliance with industrial subsidy disciplines, and the U.S. imposed 10% tariffs on Airbus planes and 25% tariffs on various foods and beverages, and some apparel and tools (see 1910020044).

The United Kingdom’s arms embargo against Hong Kong goes beyond crowd control equipment and will cover any item that could be used for “internal repression,” the U.K. said in a July 22 notice. The embargo, announced by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab July 20 (see 2007210042), covers military aircraft, helicopters, weapons platforms, armored vehicles and lethal weapons, such as machine guns, large-caliber weapons, bombs, torpedoes, rockets and missiles. The U.K. also said the embargo will cover “specially designed components” of those weapons as well as ammunition. The U.K. said it will revise its Hong Kong open general licenses “to bring them in line with restrictions on China.”

The European Commission recently announced it will allow more time for certain countries to comply with its registered export system, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a July 20 KPMG post said. Haiti, Madagascar, Senegal and Vietnam have faced “serious difficulties” meeting the June 30 deadline for the application of the system, the commission said. Those countries were granted an extension through Dec. 31. The system, used by European Union exporters in some free trade agreements, allows traders to self-certify the origin of goods.

The U.K. government followed the U.S. lead in banning Huawei equipment “without any solid evidence and under the excuse of non-existent risks,” a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said July 15. The U.K.’s action “blatantly violated” free trade rules and “eroded mutual trust underpinning China-U.K. cooperation,” she said. “China will evaluate this development in a comprehensive and serious manner and take all necessary measures to protect the legitimate and legal rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.” On President Donald Trump’s disclosure July 14 that he personally “convinced many countries” not to use Huawei as a condition for doing business with the U.S., the spokesperson called that “further proof that decisions to ban Huawei are not about national security, but political manipulation.” Trump's disclosure “also shows the world that it is not China, but the U.S., that has been intimidating and threatening others and sowing discord all across the world,” she said.

The United Kingdom announced a temporary reduced value-added tax rate for certain supplies in the hospitality and tourism sector to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, KPMG said in a July 10 post. The measure, effective July 15 to Jan. 12, 2021, will reduce VAT from 20% to 5% for certain food and nonalcoholic drinks served in restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and “similar premises” across the U.K., KPMG said. The reduced VAT also applies to take-out food and drinks from those suppliers, and to U.K. hotel accommodations and admission to “attractions” across the U.K.

The United Kingdom July 9 updated its guidance on risks associated with doing business in Kazakhstan. The update made “[m]ajor changes” to the guidance’s political, economic and business, and human rights sections, the U.K. said, and includes several “COVID-19 pandemic related amendments.”