The Commerce Department plans to release proposed export controls on emerging technologies within the “next few weeks” and an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on foundational technologies before the end of the year, a top Commerce official said. Matt Borman, the Commerce deputy assistant secretary for export administration, suggested Commerce has been eager to release both controls to ease concerns from U.S. trade groups and companies, which have warned the agency against overly broad, unilateral controls.
Country of origin cases
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is “ahead of schedule” in signing the first phase of a U.S.-China trade deal.
China recently combined its foreign trade operator and place of origin certificates, shifting customs responsibilities among government agencies, according to an Oct. 25 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The country’s commerce regulators will now be responsible for “record-maintenance, data collection and all relevant notifications,” while customs officers “will receive and input any required records” relating to the certificates, the report said.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the changes to the auto rules of origin in the new NAFTA -- which include a wage floor for a proportion of the parts workers or assembly workers -- don't impress the United Auto Workers union.
Indonesia and Australia expect to ratify their signed trade agreement by the end of the year, Indonesia’s trade ministry said Oct. 22, according to an unofficial translation. The agreement will increase export opportunities for Indonesian businesses and covers several non-tariff issues, including rules of origin, customs procedures, technical trade barriers, phytosanitary measures and more, Indonesia said. The deal “is expected to help businesses penetrate the Australian market and develop economic powerhouses so that Indonesian businesses can compete in other third country markets," Indonesia’s director general of national export development said in a statement.
The U.S. will take ownership of a North Korean cargo ship after it violated U.S. sanctions and United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Justice Department said in an Oct. 21 press release. The U.S. originally seized the ship, the “Wise Honest,” after it transported coal and “heavy machinery” to and from North Korea and used U.S. banks for various transactions (see 1905090030). “This order of forfeiture sinks the Wise Honest’s career as one of North Korea’s largest sanctions-busting vessels,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in a statement, adding that the agency “will continue to pursue other property used to violate U.S. and international sanctions.”
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 21 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
A recently upgraded China-Singapore free trade agreement represents China's attempt to diversify its trading relationships as the U.S.-China trade war continues, according to an Oct. 21 post from Dezan Shira & Associates. The upgraded agreement, which took effect Oct. 16, expands cooperation on rules of origin, customs procedures, trade remedies and more, the post said. “China is actively diversifying its economic relationships with new and old partners and strengthening cooperation with Belt and Road countries, including Singapore,” the law firm said. The agreement will lead to “improved trade and investment ties” between the two countries, according to the post.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is amending the Export Administration Regulations to further restrict exports and re-exports to Cuba, BIS said in a notice. The amendments change BIS licensing policies and exceptions for certain aircrafts and vessels, establish a 10 percent de minimis level for Cuba, make the Cuban government ineligible for certain donations and clarify the scope of unlicensed telecommunication items the Cuban government can receive. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs recently said it completed its review of the rule (see 1910150041)
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- CBP hopes to have a fully functioning electronic export manifest system up and running by the end of year, said Jim Swanson, CBP director-cargo and security controls, at the Western Cargo Conference (WESCCON) on Oct. 11. Specifically, Swanson is eyeing a “November time frame” for the ocean, air and rail modes, with truck coming at a later date after CBP completes its work on rebuilding the inbound manifest system for that mode, he said.