European countries not in the EU aligned with two recent sanctions decisions made by the bloc. On Dec. 8, the council renewed its existing restrictions pertaining to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for another 12 months. The countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposed the decision, the European Council said Jan. 30. The same countries also imposed the EU's move to update the list of individuals and entities subject to the Congo restrictions.

James Cartlidge, the U.K.'s exchequer secretary to the Treasury, told Parliament last week about how the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation makes its licensing decisions when sanctioned individuals or entities need to pay for legal fees. Cartlidge said that OFSI scrutinizes the reasonableness of the costs, including hourly rates and disbursements, adding that OFSI finds it inappropriate for the Treasury to decide whether a case should proceed by deciding whether to issue a license permitting legal fees to be paid.

The EU has the legal authority to temporarily leverage at least $36.8 billion of Russian central bank assets to aid in the reconstruction of Ukraine, the European Commission Legal Service told member states, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Jan. 26. The legal service said this plan is feasible so long as the assets are not expropriated and other conditions are met, the individuals said. Other conditions include a termination date, focus on liquid assets and intent that the principal and interest would be returned to Russia at some point, Bloomberg reported.

The EU extended its Russia sanctions regime for another six months, and they now will expire July 31, the European Council announced Jan. 27. The sanctions, while first introduced in 2014, were significantly expanded in February 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine and include a broad array of sectoral trade restrictions.

The European Commission Directorate-General for Trade on Jan. 24 opened a consultation over dual-use export control guidelines. Stakeholders interested in making their voice heard on the EU guidelines for data collection and preparation of the EU annual report on dual-use export controls can submit comments up to Feb. 28. The EU is accepting feedback from exporters, industry associations, government authorities, academia, research institutions, nongovernmental organizations and others.

Spain recently introduced a new tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, which also applies to food imports, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this week. The importer is responsible for the tax, USDA said, but “third country manufacturers must provide their Spanish buyers with information regarding the amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging used in their products’ packaging.” The agency said “sustainable packaging regulations are being rapidly implemented in the EU and have the potential to impact U.S. agricultural trade," but Spain is the only EU member so far to impose the tax. USDA said exporters “should work with their importing partners to verify the full set of import requirements, who are normally best equipped to confirm requirements with local authorities, before any goods are shipped.”

The U.K. updated its antidumping duties on corrosion-resistant iron and steel from China in a Jan. 25 notice. The Department for International Trade updated the taxation notice to "more accurately describe the goods subject to the measure."

U.K. Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch appointed former Defense Minister Mark Lancaster to be a new defense export advocate, the Department for International Trade announced Jan. 25. In the new role, Lancaster will "engage with industry leaders, ministers and other key players both in the UK and overseas to drive UK defence exports." He also will travel at home and abroad to boost British defense exports, initially focusing on opportunities in Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Qatar and countries in NATO's eastern flank.

A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with five recent sanctions actions taken by the bloc pertaining to those who undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine, the European Council announced. In September, the European Council extended the restrictions until March. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway imposed the decision.

The EU added 18 people and 19 entities to its Iran sanctions regime in response to the violent crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman arrested by the morality police who died in custody, the European Council announced. The listed individuals include government representatives, parliament members, media figures and high-ranking members of the Iranian security forces. The sanctions on Iran now cover 164 individuals and 31 entities and amount to an asset freeze and travel ban for those on the list, along with trade sanctions and export controls.