The European Commission, along with the European External Action Service, released a guidance on July 12 for European Union businesses to help combat forced labor in supply chains. The guidance lays out the many EU and international mechanisms on responsible business conduct that apply to fighting forced labor. The commission also highlighted the practical considerations for supply chain due diligence, laying out the six-step framework from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on proper due diligence. The steps include embedding responsible conduct into the company's policies, tracking implementation, cooperating in remediation and more. The guidance also includes a section on identifying risk factors for forced labor and other considerations for responsible business conduct.
Global champagne exports have increased by nearly half this year after a steep drop in demand during 2020, according to a July 13 Bloomberg report. The report, which cites French government trade statistics, said the exports have risen by 43% so far this year. French champagne exports to the U.S. have risen 74% during the first five months of 2021 compared with the same period a year ago, the report added, while exports to China rose by 153%.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated two listings under its Belarus sanctions regime in a July 12 notice. The listings for Leanid Mikalaievich Churo and the Belaeronavigatsia Republican Unitary Air Navigation Services Enterprise, of which Churo is an employee, were amended to change the word "Unity" to "Unitary" in the entity's name. Both are still subject to an asset freeze.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended the Syria sanctions listing of Salam Tohme in a July 12 financial sanctions notice. The update changed Tohme's listed gender from Female to Male. Tohme is still subject to an asset freeze.
The European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situation in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Iran, calling for sanctions on the three nations, according to a July 8 press release. The parliament strongly condemned the forced closure of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong and recommended sanctions on "individuals and entities responsible." The parliament also called for the cessation of the harassment and intimidation of journalists and the attempted muzzling of pro-democracy activists.
The European Union General Court dismissed a case from Iranian national Naser Bateni, who sought 250,000 euros in damages from his sanctions listings in 2011, 2012 and 2013, according to a July 7 judgment. Previous decisions from the court had annulled Bateni's listings for those years, finding that the European Council did not establish grounds that justified the designations and prompting the damages claim from Bateni. The court said that the council did not commit a "sufficiently serious breach" -- the standard for providing damages -- by relying on the information available to it when it made Bateni's sanctions determination. "The Council did not depart from the behavior which a normally prudent and diligent administration would have adopted," the judgment said. Bateni's appeal was "dismissed as being partly inadmissible and partly unfounded," according to an unofficial translation of the judgment.
The European Council extended for six months sanctions targeting certain economic sectors of Russia for their actions in destabilizing Ukraine, according to a July 12 press release. The sanctions, which were extended until Jan. 31, 2022, were first implemented on July 31, 2014 and consist of limiting access to EU primary and secondary capital markets for particular Russian banks and companies, and blocking forms of financial assistance and brokering directed toward Russian financial entities. The sanctions also bar the trading of defense materials and dual-use goods for military use or military end-users in Russia.
The European Commission in a July 12 notice announced the impending expiration of antidumping duty measures on okoume plywood 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 7, 2022, expiration date. In another notice, the EC told of another antidumping duty expiration for certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel from China. Without a request for a review, the duties also will expire on April 7, 2022. See the notices for where to submit requests for review.
A California resident was sentenced to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to smuggle counterfeit cell phone components from China, a July 9 Justice Department press release said. Chan Hung Le conspired with others to bring in counterfeit Apple, Samsung and Motorola products from China, generating over $18 million in revenue from sales in the scheme. The phone parts were brought in using mailboxes the conspirators set up with virtual office service providers in Oklahoma and Texas under a fake business name, JV Trading Solutions, from 2011 to 2015. The parts were then sold through online stores. “[Le]…orchestrated an elaborate scheme to deceive customs agents by creating covert shipping channels from Hong Kong and China to different U.S. states,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “From this conduct, and this deception, [Le] generated millions of dollars in profit. [Le] enlisted numerous other parties in his conduct -- including his romantic partner, his employees (witting or unwitting), other family members, and the unwitting virtual mailbox service companies." Prosecutors called it a "sophisticated, long-standing, and highly profitable offense.”
Switzerland added 78 individuals and seven entities to its sanctions regime on Belarus, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said in a July 7 news release. The move brings Switzerland in line with the European Union's entries on the same individuals and entities.