United Nations human rights experts are urging the U.S. to lift sanctions and other trade measures against Cuba to help the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 30 news release. The UN called on the U.S. to lift trade barriers, tariffs, quotas and other non-tariff measures that may be blocking Cuban imports of humanitarian goods. The experts said U.S. policy toward Cuba creates a “cumbersome and expensive licensing process” for exports. They also said the U.S. has “ignored repeated calls to waive sanctions that undermine the capacity of Cuba and other countries to respond effectively to the pandemic.” The Treasury Department said it maintains sufficient exemptions for humanitarian trade (see 2004170017 and 2004100044).

Germany sanctioned Hezbollah and confiscated its assets, according to an unofficial translation of an April 30 government notice. The sanctions also apply to Hizballah “sub-organizations” based in Germany, the notice said.

The U.S. and United Kingdom will begin virtually negotiating a trade deal this week, U.K. Trade Secretary Elizabeth Truss said. The talks, which have been expected for months (see 2002190021, 2003020061 and 2001280042), will start through video conferences, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative told Politico May 3, and will be held remotely until international travel resumes. In a May 3 tweet, Truss said the U.K. will “be working to bring benefits to all parts of [the U.K.] and boost our economies during #coronavirus recovery.” The USTR did not comment.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade corrected several errors in its guidance for trading with developing nations under the U.K.’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences, according to a May 1 notice. The corrections add Samoa and Tonga to the standard GSP listing and remove Jordan, Nicaragua and “Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

Canada issued limits for exporting newly prohibited firearms, in a May 1 notice to exporters. “The purpose of this Notice is to advise exporters of export controls implications flowing from the announcement by the Prime Minister that a number of firearms are now considered 'prohibited firearms,'” it said. The Canada Border Services Agency also posted a notice that said that several firearms are now illegal to import. “Please be advised that the ... (CBSA) will immediately begin prohibiting the importation of all firearms that are listed in the Regulations by individuals or businesses, unless an exemption is met,” it said.

Sri Lanka recently announced a “special commodity levy” on imported fruits, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released April 30. The levy, which began April 17, will remain in place for two months. It is intended to help the country rebound from a lockdown associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. About a quarter of Sri Lanka’s annual $71 million worth of fruit imports originates in China, with 8% coming from the U.S. The country sources about 20% of its apples from the U.S., the USDA said.

Japan’s recent agricultural aid package includes incentive payments for dairy manufacturers to replace imported ingredients with domestic milk powder, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released April 30. The aid, which aims to help industry mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, will issue payments for dairy companies that replace imports of “prepared dairy products” with the domestically produced powder. The payments, distributed by Japan’s Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation, will include the “price difference between milk powder for food use and these products, up to a specified limit,” the USDA said. Japan imported $2.2 million worth of those prepared dairy products annually from the U.S. between 2015 and 2019, the USDA said.

China recently requested industry and government feedback as it prepares to revise its measures on organic product certification, which could impact the types of organic goods China can import, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released April 30. The request for pre-draft revisions comments is “unique,” the USDA said, adding that China is asking for comments through a “written questionnaire” because it cannot conduct field visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comment deadline is May 11. China did not notify the World Trade Organization about previous revisions to its organic product certification rules last year, the USDA said.

China’s Commerce Ministry criticized the U.S. Commerce Department’s decision to increase restrictions on exports to Chinese military users, saying it will “damage the interests of related U.S. companies more.” The measures, introduced last week (see 2004280052), were examples of the U.S. “abusing export control measures and impeding normal trade and cooperation among trading partners,” a ministry spokesperson said during an April 30 press conference, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript of the event. China said governments have a “responsibility” to reduce trade barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic “rather than create obstacles,” adding that “it is hoped that the U.S. side will stop wrong practices.”

The State Department approved two potential military sales to the Philippines worth $450 million and $1.5 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 30. The first sale includes six AH-1Z attack helicopters and the second sale includes six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, the DSCA said. The principal contractors for the first sale are Bell Helicopter Textron and General Electric. The contractors for the second sale are Boeing and Lockheed Martin.