The U.K. last week released its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong, outlining events in the region from July 1 to Dec. 31, including certain events that the U.K. said raise human rights and business concerns. It said certain rights and freedoms in Hong Kong "continued to be negatively impacted by the broad application of" Hong Kong's national security law, the 2020 legislation that made illegal a range of dissenting and anti-government acts. The U.K. said Hong Kong authorities arrested several people during that time frame for calling for Hong Kong’s independence "and for foreign sanctions against China and Hong Kong, criticising them for 'betraying' China and 'neglecting' the interests of Hong Kong."
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Finance extended the period of an antidumping duty investigation on graphite electrodes from China by three months, until July 23. METI said the extension is to "carefully review the evidence and relevant documents submitted by interested parties, while ensuring full transparency and fairness throughout the investigation process." The investigation was launched in April 2024 and recently saw the agency impose a 95.2% provisional AD on Chinese graphite electrodes, effective March 29 (see 2503250022).
President Donald Trump described his phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as "extremely productive," in a social media post, adding "we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
The House Foreign Affairs Committee announced last week that it has appointed a total of 12 members – seven Republicans, five Democrats -- to its new task force on foreign arms sales.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, reintroduced a bill March 13 that would prohibit U.S. natural gas from being exported to a foreign country with the intent of further exporting the gas through a foreign liquefied natural gas terminal. Sullivan is concerned about the transport of American gas by pipeline to Mexico, whose energy sector experiences corruption, fuel theft and government interference. The bill, which he offered in the last Congress (see 2410030033), was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the Trump administration March 25 to designate two additional Venezuelan entities as foreign terrorist organizations.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said March 27 that he plans to force Senate floor votes the week of March 31 to April 4 on two resolutions aimed at preventing the sale of $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Israel. Sanders cited concerns about the Gaza war, including civilian casualties and Israel's blockade of the strip. The Senate rejected similar Sanders legislation in November (see 2411210022).
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., reintroduced a bill March 25 that would require CBP to create a four-year pilot program to use data analytics to identify vessels evading sanctions and export controls.
The U.K. extended a general sanctions license that permits sanctioned entity Russian Railways to pay Lithuanian Railways for the transit of "persons between the Kaliningrad Region and other parts of Russia via the passenger rail service operated by" Lithuanian Railways. The license's original expiration date of April 13, 2025, has been extended until 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2027. It also lets Lithuanian Railways receive payments from Russian Railways for this type of travel and permits people or entities to "carry out any activity reasonably necessary to effect" payments to Lithuanian Railways.
The Council of the European Union on March 27 sanctioned another 25 people and seven entities under its Belarus sanctions regime for undermining democracy in Belarus and aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine.