The U.K. revised its general license under its Russia sanctions regime permitting the provision of technical assistance, financial services and funds, and brokering services for certain vessels. The updated license includes aircraft and aeroengines and the provision of insurance services for aviation under the license, the Export Control Joint Unit said. The license came into effect April 5 and requires anyone seeking to rely on the license to register via the U.K.'s SPIRE export licensing system within 30 days of the first use of the license.

Russia imposed sanctions on members of the Australian and New Zealand governments in an April 7 retaliatory move, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, according to an unofficial translation. The sanctioned parties include New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Gov.-General Cynthia Kiro, and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as hundreds of members of their respective governments. The listed parties are barred from entering Russia.

The U.K. issued a new general license related to the mounting Russia sanctions, permitting until May 6 a wind-down period for positions with Credit Bank of Moscow. The license says that an individual can slowly drop its transactions, including closing out of any positions, to which it is a party involving the bank or one of its subsidiaries. The U.K. also updated the general license pertaining to winding down positions with Sberbank. The update said the bank remains under an asset freeze, but payments related to energy products for use in the U.K. can continue to be used.

The EU imposed an antidumping duty on graphite electrode systems from China, moving to definitely collect the provisional duty previously imposed on the electrode systems in an April 7 notice. The duties cover "graphite electrodes of a kind used for electric furnaces, with an apparent density of 1,5 g/cm3 or more and an electrical resistance of 7,0 μ.Ω.m or less, whether or not equipped with nipples, with a nominal diameter of more than 350 mm."

The U.K. updated its General License pertaining to Russian banks to allow payments relating to insolvency proceedings with VTB's British subsidiary. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said that under the license, anyone until April 3, 2023, "may make, receive or process any payments, or take any other action, in connection with any Insolvency Proceedings relating to the UK Subsidiary, whether prior to or after the commencement of such proceedings, including, without limitation, an insolvency practitioner for the purposes of his or her functions under or in connection with Insolvency Proceedings."

The EU imposed an antidumping duty on superabsorbent polymers from South Korea in an April 6 notice. The duties were requested by the European Superabsorbent Polymer Coalition and cover "superabsorbent polymers (‘SAP’), consisting of irregular, round-shaped or agglomerated granules, in powdered form, white in appearance and insoluble in water, resulting from a polymerization of monomer molecules with cross-linkers to form cross-linked polymer networks, with a high capacity to absorb and retain water and aqueous liquids." The following duty rates apply: 13.4% for LG Chem Ltd., and 18.8% for all other companies.

The EU dropped two entries from its Syria sanctions regime following a November General Court decision annulling their listings. Per the April 4 European Council decision, Bashar Mohammad Assi and Khaldoun Al-Zoubi no longer remain subject to EU restrictions.

The U.K. released a General License permitting until June 30 the provision of financial services for receiving and transferring non-ruble denominated interest or maturity/principal payments from the Central Bank of Russia, the National Wealth Fund or the Russian Finance Ministry. The license also covers transactions in connection with debt issued before March 1 from individuals owned/controlled or acting on the behalf of the three listed entities.

The EU started expiry reviews of the antidumping duties on okoume plywood and hot-rolled flat products from China, the European Commission said in two separate notices April 5, each covering entries during 2021. The European Panel Federation requested the expiry review on the okoume plywood. The review will cover "okoume plywood, defined as plywood consisting solely of sheets of wood, each ply not exceeding 6 mm thickness, with at least one outer ply of okoume not coated by a permanent film of other materials."

The U.K. reached eight settlements over charges relating to unlicensed strategic exports, with the largest one totaling over $3.5 million, it said April 4. The U.K's Export Control Joint Unit said the eight settlements were struck between December and February. The smallest payment was for $1,300 relating to exports of military goods. The $3.5 million settlement also covered unlicensed exports of military goods covered by the U.K.'s 2008 Export Control Order.