The World Trade Organization's multiparty interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA), an alternative to the defunct Appellate Body, proved to be "operational" after it ensured the right of parties in an antidumping duties dispute to appeal dispute panel reports and to receive a "final, binding ruling, without loopholes to block the process," Geneva Graduate Institute law professor Joost Pauwelyn said in a Feb. 27 blog post. Pauwelyn said MPIA led to the resolution of a recent dispute on frozen fries "without blockage," which preserved “the system's 'binding character and two levels of adjudication.'"
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., recently reintroduced several bills that could lead to sanctions against China and North Korea:
Major shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Co. asked the Federal Maritime Commission to dismiss an order stemming from a refund owed to SOFi Paper Products. MSC said it refunded SOFi in full and the dispute should be resolved.
Global trade fared better than predictions for 2022 despite the disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine, the World Trade Organization reported in a Feb. 23 information note. Various industries were able to find alternative sources of supply for goods affected by Russia's invasion, including wheat, maize, sunflower products, fertilizer, fuels and palladium.
The U.S. announced a new, sweeping set of export controls and sanctions last week to further hobble Russia on the one-year anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, including additions to the Entity List, an expansion of industry sector restrictions on both Russia and Belarus, new export controls against Iran to address its drone transfers to Russia, and new financial sanctions against more than 100 people and entities. Many of the measures, which were announced alongside similar actions by U.S. G-7 allies, aim to “cut off the Russian defense industrial base and military from even low-technology consumer items,” the Bureau of Industry and Security said.
Canada and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month recognizing the two countries’ national organic systems as equivalent. The Canada–Mexico Organic Equivalency Arrangement, which took effect Feb. 15, allows certain Canadian certified organic products to be sold as organic in Mexico, and vice versa, as long as the terms of the MOU are met, Canada said. The MOU covers a range of Canadian and Mexican organic products exports, including plant-origin agricultural goods, certain plant-origin processed foods, livestock and “beekeeping products.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans are asking the Bureau of Industry and Security for information on its export enforcement and compliance efforts involving China, including steps to crack down on Chinese transfers of controlled U.S. technology to State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSTs). In a letter sent to BIS last week, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, chair of the committee, said he is concerned China’s “economic and trade ties” with terrorism sponsors is “undermining U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” He and Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., asked BIS to provide information on recent Chinese export violations, licensing procedures, end-use checks and more by March 2.
Customs brokers and forwarders commended an effort by CBP to modernize the export process for used self-propelled vehicles exports (USPVs), but said a range of questions “remain unanswered” about how the new pilot will work in practice. They also said CBP can make several improvements to the pilot, including by allowing filers to submit electronic export documents before a vehicle is delivered to the port of export.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week issued Syria-related General License 23, which authorizes through 12:01 p.m. EDT Aug. 8 all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Syria that would otherwise be prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 542 (SySR). The license does not authorize importation of petroleum or petroleum products of Syrian origin into the U.S. or any transactions involving any person blocked pursuant to the SySR, other than the Syrian government. U.S. sanctions programs do not target legitimate humanitarian assistance, OFAC said.
The U.S. is making “good progress” on aligning export controls over sensitive technologies with allies, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said this week, adding that almost all the administration's recent discussions with trading partners have involved China technology issues. She also said the agency is working to counter a growing oil partnership between China and Iran, but said preventing China’s purchases has proven challenging.