The European Union extended restrictive measures on individuals and entities in Myanmar until April 30, 2022, the European Council announced in an April 29 news release. The sanctions were originally enacted in response to a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation and subsequent violence against peaceful protesters along with human rights atrocities committed against the Rohingya population and other ethnic minorities. Covering individuals and entities associated with the Myanmar Armed Forces, the restrictions include an arms embargo, export ban on dual-use goods for use by the military, and export restrictions on communications-monitoring equipment.
A German software company agreed to pay more than $8 million in fines after it admitted to violating U.S. export controls and sanctions against Iran, the Justice, Treasury and Commerce departments announced April 29. The company, SAP SE, came to settlement agreements with all three agencies after it voluntarily disclosed the violations, which included illegal exports and reexports of U.S.-origin software.
Semiconductor industry officials are preparing to push for export control modernization over certain electronics on the Commerce Control List, which they say will help controls avoid unintended consequences on U.S. companies and more accurately reflect national security concerns. The effort, led by the Semiconductor Industry Association, will look to convince the Bureau of Industry and Security to update certain control parameters and definitions, and make technical changes in Category 3 of the CCL, which officials view as out of date.
Even as the U.S. and the European Union work privately to resolve their differences over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing, a U.S. representative at the World Trade Organization complained that the EU provided no status update on coming into compliance over Airbus subsidies. The EU said that the measures it took in August 2020 (see 2008280051) were more than enough to comply with a WTO ruling, according to a Geneva trade official.
The European Union held its fourth negotiating round with five African nations to expand the existing Economic Partnership Agreement, the European Commission announced in an April 22 report on the negotiations. The participating nations are Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. The parties discussed seven primary issues: customs and trade facilitation; mutual administrative assistance protocol; sanitary and phytosanitary issues; rules of origin; trade and sustainable development; trade in services, investment liberalization, digital trade; and economic and development cooperation, the EC said. Both sides submitted detailed proposals for rules of origin and also discussed a joint text on trade and sustainable development for the first time, it said.
Singapore Customs in an April 23 trade notice released a list of common compliance errors made during declarations of permits, carnets, voluntary disclosures, free trade agreement rules, rules of origin and facts for motor vehicles. Such errors include inaccuracies in transhipment permit declarations for LCL containers moving from one free trade zone to another or wrong exchange rates used in GST payment declarations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security extended its comment period for an information collection related to a request for appointment of a technical advisory committee, it said in a notice released April 23. The collection describes the functions and responsibilities of the Commerce Department TACs, which help advise the government on proposed revisions to export controls, licensing procedures and more. The comments, originally due March 15 (see 2101130013), are now due 30 days after the notice is posted on the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website.
The Coalition for a Prosperous America hired Amanda Mayoral as an economist and Robby Smith as a national security adviser, the trade group said in an April 21 news release. "Mayoral will work with the Economics Team on building CPA’s resources of original research and analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of aggressive policies for trade, industry, and economic growth," said CPA. "Smith will work with the Government Relations Team to continue to expand CPA’s presence in Washington, including on Capitol Hill and in the administration, with a special emphasis on China policy, national security, and human rights." Mayoral previously worked at the World Bank and U.S. Institute of Peace. Smith joins from the United Nations.
Brazil recently adopted a “special procedure” to determine whether an import is not complying with its non-preferential origin rules, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 22. The procedure will be carried out after a complaint by Brazilian authorities, who will examine the origin information provided by the parties and any related documents, conduct “technical visits to domestic producers of like products” and on‑site verifications at production plants and the offices of foreign exporters and Brazilian importers, the report said. Authorities will also send a questionnaire to the producers to request the origin information, HKTDC said, adding that the Brazilian importer will be responsible for any information the producer submits. If Brazil determines there is “no proof of the declared origin,” the importer “must adopt the origin determined” by authorities.
The Australian federal government scrapped a Victoria state government memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement with China as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement on April 21, Bloomberg reported April 22. The move could further enflame tensions between the two nations that have had a chilly relationship since Australia called for an independent probe into the origins of COVID-19, Bloomberg said. The Australian government also tossed Victoria state agreements with Iran and Syria. “I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations,” Payne said."