The EU is seeking public feedback on how it should shape its guidelines for its anti-forced labor rules, which are set to ban imports suspected of being made with forced labor (see 2411200017). The European Commission said it's required to issue the guidelines by June 14, and they will help to "ensure a predictable and smooth implementation" of the forced labor rules "while minimising burdens on administrations and companies." The guidelines will also "offer a structured framework to ensure compliance and effectiveness, clarifying roles and responsibilities, supporting capacity building, and promoting transparency and accountability." The new forced labor rules take effect in 2027.

The Netherlands’ new government, set to take office later this month, plans to "relentlessly" protect against Chinese theft of Dutch technology and wants to boost its Russia sanctions enforcement, according to its coalition agreement, published Jan. 30.

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its enforcement and penalties guidance this week to reflect its recently announced changes to how it enforces sanctions, including revised penalty discounts for voluntary disclosures, expedited investigations in certain enforcement cases and new fixed penalties for more minor violations.

The European Commission on Feb. 6 imposed definitive antidumping duties on sweetcorn from China. The duties ranged from 31% to 54.3% and come after a 14-month investigation that found that Chinese sweetcorn imports are injuring the EU industry in France, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Spain.

The U.K. gave notice on Feb. 5 that the antidumping and countervailing duties on continuous filament glass fiber products from China are no longer in effect. The duties were extended in 2023 to Jan. 30, 2026. While in effect, the AD ranged from 14.5% to 19.9%, and the CVD ranged from 4.9% to 10.3%.

The U.K.’s Solicitors Regulation Authority recently updated its sanctions compliance guidance to include references to new U.K. sanctions regimes, updated best practices, a new case study that illustrates how firms may inadvertently become involved in sanctions, red flags for sanctions evasion, and clarifications on sanctions reporting rules and licensing responsibilities. The authority also updated its firm-wide risk assessment guidance, which is meant to help companies assess their exposure to U.K. sanctions risks.

The European Commission imposed antidumping duties Feb. 4 on high-pressure seamless steel cylinders from China. The duties range from 57.7% to 90.3% and cover "high-pressure seamless steel cylinders for compressed or liquified gas, of all diameters and volume capacities."

The EU needs to be quicker to impose strong sanctions against Russia’s energy sector, or else it risks Moscow’s war against Ukraine continuing for years into the future, said Katarzyna Pisarska, chair of the Warsaw Security Forum.

Germany announced a package of export control updates that it said help companies more quickly export certain military and dual-use items, including through new and revised general licenses.

The European Commission opened an "in-depth investigation" on Feb. 2 to assess whether Chinese exporter Goldwind Science & Technology received foreign subsidies to aid in the production of its wind turbines. The commission said the possible foreign subsidies include "grants, preferential tax measures, and preferential financing in the form of loans." The EU launched the probe under its foreign subsidies regulation, which began to apply in 2023 and lets the commission "address distortions [to internal markets] caused by foreign subsidies."