The Association of Southeast Asian Nations welcomed the United Kingdom as a “Dialogue Partner” at a virtual ceremony Aug. 5, the U.K. announced Aug. 5. The partnership brings the U.K. closer to the 10-member trading bloc in the Indo-Pacific and marks the first partnership of this kind that ASEAN has established in 25 years, the U.K. said. The U.K. will attend foreign and economic ministers meetings, as well as other ministerial proceedings. ASEAN has a combined GDP of $3.2 trillion (in U.S. dollars), and total trade between the U.K. and ASEAN was about $45 billion in the four quarters ended with Q1 2021, the release said. The U.K. in June launched accession talks with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. “Along with CPTPP accession and deals with countries like Singapore and Vietnam, this will help unlock opportunities for British businesses in a high-growth region of more than 650 million people, allowing them to expand and create jobs across the UK,” International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said.

The European Commission will kick off a partial interim review of the antidumping duties on steel ropes and cables from China, extended to imports from South Korea, whether declared as from South Korea or not, the commission said Aug. 5. The EC initiated the review and the scope will be limited to the duty exceptions granted to Young Heung Iron & Steel. “There is sufficient evidence that the circumstances on the basis of which the exemption was granted to Young Heung have significantly changed and that these changes are of a lasting nature,” the commission said. Young Heung changed its name to Youngwire, and in so doing, also underwent “important reorganisation, including through the acquisition of the assets of another Korean exporter benefitting from the exception, Dae Heung Industrial Co. Ltd.” These changes could affect the exemption offered to Young Heung.

The European Commission amended a countervailing duty order on rainbow trout imports from Turkey on Aug. 3, finding that an exporter with an individual CVD rate could still receive this rate following a name change. BAFA Su Urunleri Yavru Uretim Merkezi Sanayi Ticaret AS, an exporter with a 1.5% individual CVD rate, told the commission that after combining with its parent company, it changed its name to Kilic Deniz Urunleri Uretimi Ihracat Ithalat ve Ticaret A.S. The commission found the name change to be properly registered, keeping the 1.5% rate for Kilic.

The European Commission began a review of existing antidumping duties on certain cold-rolled flat steel products from China and Russia, an Aug. 3 notice in the Official Journal of the European Union said. Eurofer requested the review following the publication of the expiration notice for the duties. The commission will decide if an extension of the duties is necessary to further protect the European steel industry, the notice said. The period under investigation is July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. The covered goods are “flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, or other alloy steel but excluding of stainless steel, of all widths, cold-rolled (cold-reduced), not clad, plated or coated and not further worked than cold-rolled (cold-reduced),” with a number of notable exceptions including flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of all widths, of silicon-electrical steel.

The European Commission in an Aug. 3 notice announced the impending expiration of antidumping duty measures on certain continuous filament glass fiber products from China unless a review of the duties is initiated. European Union manufacturers can submit a written request for a review up to three months before the duty's April 26, 2022, expiration date.

The United Kingdom and New Zealand are close to wrapping up a trade deal following Britain's departure from the European Union, U.K. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss confirmed to the Daily Express Aug. 1. Truss completed the most recent round of trade talks with New Zealand last week, saying the two sides are "closing in on a deal which would be one of the most advanced struck by any nation." The Daily Express also pegged the talks as another step by the U.K. to join the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The United Kingdom ceased applying an antidumping duty on pre- and post-stressing wires and wire strands of non-alloy steel (PSC wires and strands) from China Aug. 2, following a transition review. The measures were initially imposed on June 6, 2015, by the European Union on behalf of the U.K. and the other EU member states. Following the U.K.'s departure from the EU, the secretary of state for international trade transitioned the AD duty to continue applying during the U.K. transition period. Following a transition review, to decide whether to keep the duties, the AD duty will cease to apply, effective Aug. 2.

The European Council adopted a framework on July 30 for targeted sanctions against Lebanese individuals and entities responsible for “undermining democracy or the rule of law in Lebanon.” Actions that may warrant sanctions include obstructing the democratic political process through “hampering the formation of a government” or the holding of elections, undermining plans by Lebanese authorities to improve accountability and proper governance and “serious financial misconduct,” a press release said. The sanctions will include a travel ban and an asset freeze for individuals, and an asset freeze for entities.

The European Commission began a review of existing antidumping duties on aspartame from China, a July 29 notice in the Official Journal of the European Union said. HSWT France S.A.S. requested the review following the publication of the expiration notice for the duties. The commission will decide if an extension of the duties is necessary to further protect the European aspartame industry, the notice said. The period under investigation is July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

The European Commission in a July 29 notice announced the expiration of antidumping duty measures on high fatigue performance steel concrete reinforcement bars from China. Since no “duly substantiated request for a review” was filed with the commission, the antidumping measures will expire July 30, the notice said.