Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Chris Coons, D-Del., introduced a bill Nov. 20 that would authorize the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to scrutinize investments in American humanoid robotics companies by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The Humanoid Robot Act, which would also bar federal agencies and their contractors from using humanoid robots developed by those countries, was referred to the Senate Banking Committee.
The Council of the EU, which is made up of government ministers from each EU country, voted last week to eliminate customs duties on industrial products and to grant tariff rate quotas for some seafood and agricultural products. It also voted to extend duty-free treatment for U.S. lobster exports. That tariff treatment had expired in July.
The U.K. on Nov. 28 amended the entry under its Russia sanctions list for Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation changed the listing to say that he's sanctioned due to his former role as director general of the state-affiliated TASS news agency.
The U.K. issued a new general license under its Russia sanctions list, allowing non-sanctioned individuals or entities to continue business operations with Lukoil International, the international business arm of major Russian energy firm Lukoil, and its related subsidiaries. The license runs from Nov. 27 to Feb. 26. Under the license, non-sanctioned parties may make payments to or receive payments from Lukoil and its subsidiaries under any existing or new obligations or contracts, and provide or receive economic resources from Lukoil.
The State Department completed interagency review last week for a final rule involving an exemption within the International Traffic in Arms Regulations for defense trade between the AUKUS nations of Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. The rule, sent for interagency review in September (see 2509120027) could build on the agency's August 2024 interim final rule, which created the exemption to reduce certain export control barriers under the ITAR (see 2408160019).
Advanced technology and AI companies largely supported the Commerce Department’s new effort to create a program aimed at increasing U.S. exports of AI technologies and services, with some saying companies should commit to "rigorous" export compliance conditions before being allowed to participate. One company said the U.S. should require businesses to automate their compliance for exports involving certain dual-use AI models, saying manual compliance presents too many “failure points.”
Boston-based e-commerce company Wayfair has urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to address several non-tariff trade barriers that it says hinder its ability to export goods into Canada.
Law firms are advising clients of changes to Mexican customs laws that begin Jan. 1, including that customs brokers will be liable if their clients provide false or inaccurate information.
China again extended its safeguard investigation on imported beef "given the complexity of this case," the country's Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry opened the probe last December (see 2412300027) and had hoped to complete it in November, but it's now extending the investigation through Jan. 26.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., introduced a bill last month that would require the president to sanction foreign entities and individuals who intentionally damage subsea fiber optic cables.