Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 20-24 in case you missed them.

The Treasury Department announced fees for filing certain transactions with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., according to a notice. The interim rule, which will apply to formal written voluntary notices filed with CFIUS and not transactions submitted through declarations, establishes a range of possible fees, depending on the value of the transaction, with $300,000 being the highest fee. The rule takes effect May 1, but Treasury is accepting public comments through June 1. The agency also issued a fact sheet and a guidance for paying filing fees.

The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security is working on guidance to help industry comply with the expanded licensing requirements for exports to China announced earlier this week (see 2004270027). The guidance will address new restrictions on exports intended for military users and uses, said Matt Borman, Commerce deputy assistant secretary for export administration. The rule expands the definition for military end-use and will cover military end-users in China, placing more of a compliance burden on industry.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade issued an April 24 privacy notice describing how it collects and uses information of traders. The notice includes information on the data the DIT collects from users, why it collects that data, how it shares that data, data retention periods and more.

China announced requirements for importing U.S. avocados, according to an unofficial translation of an April 26 notice from the country’s General Administration of Customs. The notice contains new phytosanitary requirements for the imports, which took effect April 26.

China introduced new export regulations of medical goods to reduce shipping delays, according to an April 27 press release from China’s Ministry of Commerce. The measures -- which apply to “non-surgical face masks” and “medical supplies,” including testing reagents, protective suits, ventilators and infrared thermometers -- will allow exporting companies and the importer to submit a “joint declaration” that the goods are compliant with Chinese standards or standards of the importing country, China said. The declaration must also confirm that the goods will not be used for “medical purposes.” After receiving the declaration, China’s customs authority will “inspect and release the products.” The measures could help ease recent shipping delays on medical equipment (see 2004170039) by allowing manufacturers to bypass a previous rule that required exporters to obtain a certification from Chinese regulators, according to an April 26 report from The Wall Street Journal.

Eight House Republicans have joined to introduce a bill that would require the U.S. trade representative to submit a report to Congress on how World Trade Organization agreements will be fully implemented. In a press release announcing the bill's introduction on April 24, Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., said: “For too long the United States, and the world, has turned a blind eye to much of China’s unfair practices in business and trade, and it has been the American producer and consumer who has paid the price. It’s time the United States and the global community assert their rights under WTO rules to hold China accountable for its behavior on the world stage and ensure a level playing field for all.” He said his bill would prevent China and other high-income nations from receiving special and differential treatment as developing nations. However, under current WTO rules, countries must willingly give up developing nation status; there is no way to force them to leave that status.

The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the top Republican on the committee want to authorize up to $750 million in grants to accelerate the deployment of “open interfaced, standards-based, and interoperable 5G networks.” Because the leadership of the committee supports the telecommunications bill introduced April 24, it's likely to pass the House. There is a companion bill in the Senate with bipartisan support.

The United Kingdom issued arrangements for how it will handle documentation and other information during trade negotiations with the U.S., according to an April 24 notice. The arrangements reflect both countries’ desire to keep the information “confidential,” the U.K. said, although the governments have “the discretion and autonomy to share information with bodies, groups or individuals.”

Brazilian and U.S. business organizations are asking their two countries to reach a trade deal in 2020, “with priority on modernizing trade and customs, establishing good regulatory practices, creating rules for digital trade, and combating corruption,” they said in a letter sent last week and released to the public on April 27. “These trade disciplines can be achieved without requiring either U.S. legislation or Mercosur’s involvement, and they would substantially reduce unnecessary costs and enhance bilateral trade and investment,” they said. Brazil is in a customs union known as Mercosur, or South American Common Market, and thus cannot lower its tariffs without other countries' consent.