Switzerland is asking exporters to strengthen their compliance procedures to protect against sanctions evaders that are increasingly looking to buy Swiss-origin machine tools, the country said in new guidance published this week.
Switzerland is "strengthening" its humanitarian exemptions under its sanctions regimes to "provide greater clarity" to aid groups, the Swiss Federal Council said this month. The changes, which will take effect Sept. 15, build on the U.N.'s humanitarian exemptions that Switzerland adopted in 2023 (see 2304280023) and are "consistent with Switzerland's humanitarian tradition and its longstanding commitment to protecting humanitarian activities in situations affected by sanctions."
The U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued three new FAQs to provide guidance on its Russia-related general license that authorizes certain transactions involving brokerage firms.
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit launched a new "ultimate end-user screen" for exporters to complete when filling in license application details in its Licensing for International Trade (LITE) system. The new section, called "Details of possible ultimate end users," allows the filer to submit information "for situations when details of ultimate end-users are not or partly known," the U.K. said, including when a product is "onward exported and held in stock."
The U.K.'s $400,000 fine in July of a British management services firm for violating Russia sanctions (see 2507310042) shows that merely having a sanctions compliance program may not be enough to mitigate a fine, Steptoe said in a client alert.
The European Commission this month updated its sanctions guidance on banned Russian diamonds, including sections related to tracing diamond imports, required certifications and verifications, resources for importers and more.
Germany is halting certain exports of military equipment to Israel out of concern that German weapons may be used against civilians in Gaza, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Aug. 8.
The European Commission on Aug. 6 imposed antidumping duties on decor paper from China. The duties range from 26.4% to 26.9% and are being imposed after an investigation showed decor paper from China injures the EU industry. Decor paper is "used as a coating in the production of furniture and more broadly in the interior design, construction and renovation industries," the commission said.
The EU on Aug. 5 published a document to officially suspend the retaliatory tariffs it was set to impose on the U.S. on Aug. 7 (see 2507250007) if the two sides hadn’t come to a trade agreement. The U.S. and the EU announced a trade deal last last month (see 2507280027 and 2507280032), and suspending its retaliatory duties will help “ensure effective implementation of the political agreement,” the European Commission said in a document posted to the Official Journal of the EU. “The Commission should keep the suspension under review in light of further developments in the trade relations with the United States, and may take further actions.”
Switzerland's government said it will continue negotiations in the hopes of avoiding 39% U.S. tariffs that begin Aug. 8, which it says will apply to 60% of its exports. Pharmaceuticals, a major product from Switzerland, are not subject to reciprocal tariffs.