A U.S. court upheld a conviction for Global Metallurgy CEO Erdal Kuyumcu, affirming he violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by exporting specialty metals to Iran (see 1606150015), according to court records filed March 17. Kuyumcu, who was hired by a Turkish company to source the U.S.-origin metals, was “fully aware” that the exports would be shipped to a company in Iran, the court said. The court also said Kuyumcu, who originally pleaded guilty, “has failed to show that there is a reasonable probability that he would not have pleaded guilty,” which was necessary under the appeal.

The European Union renewed sanctions against Egypt for one year, according to a March 20 notice. The sanctions, which now expire March 22, 2021, apply asset freezes to certain people and companies in Egypt.

A “Transfer of Non-Repairable Vehicle to a Demolisher” certificate issued by the District of Columbia, along with a bill of sale, is enough to prove eligibility for export of a used car through the Port of Baltimore, CBP said in a recent customs ruling. Though the exporter did not provide a title for the vehicle, the documents provided “are sufficient to show that the requestor has ownership of the subject vehicle,” CBP said in HQ H308498.

The World Customs Organization created a dedicated site and medical supply classification guide to help during the COVID-19 epidemic, the WCO said in a news release. “During this time of crisis, the global Customs community is invited to continue advocating for and realize the facilitation of not just relief supplies but of all goods being traded in order to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said. The WCO said it “will continue to proactively communicate with its Members and partners, not only on measures to facilitate the movement of relief consignments, but on action to safeguard supply chain continuity.”

Kenya is drafting a “Know Your Customer” bill to curb illegal trade and bring transparency to the country’s shipping industry through increased customer due-diligence requirements, according to a March 20 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The law, which was in response to the country’s illegal freight trade, will require importers and exporters to “identify the individuals or companies sending or receiving shipments from around the world” with the hope that increased due diligence will help curb money laundering, the report said. Know Your Customer-type laws are active in “many developed nations,” the report said, but Kenya would be the first African country to adopt such a measure.

A bill introduced in the United Kingdom Parliament would outline its independent trade policy after Brexit, according to a March 19 notice from the U.K.’s Department for International Trade. The bill provides information on government procurement, the implementation methods of its trade continuity agreements, its trade remedies -- including the establishment of a new independent U.K. body, the Trade Remedies Authority -- and trade data collection and sharing. The U.K. clarified that the trade bill will not take authority away from any U.K. agencies in charge of trade, and can only be used to “implement non-tariff elements of transitionally adopted trade agreements.”

There will be “minimum disruption” to the export licensing process for exporters in the United Kingdom, which expects to continue processing license applications amid the coronavirus pandemic response, according to a March 20 notice from the U.K.’s Export Control Joint Unit. Processing “strategic” export license applications has been “identified as a business-critical operation” by the Department for International Trade, the ECJU said, adding that it recognizes authorizations for dual-use and military exports are “essential.” In addition, as more of the industry works from home, the ECJU clarified that there are “no export license compliance issues” with industry accessing U.K. “export control regulated data” from home using a company computer. Users will continue to receive communications and license decisions from SPIRE, the U.K.’s online export licensing system, in the “normal way,” the notice said.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade canceled its export control training courses planned for April, May and June, the agency said in a March 20 notice. The move follows an announcement by the prime minister to stop all non-essential contact and unnecessary travel, the agency said. The cancellation will impact 11 scheduled training courses, the DIT said, adding that it is looking at “alternative methods of delivering training.” The agency may cancel future courses as the “situation evolves.”

The European Union published its common military list, detailing rules governing exports of military technology and equipment, according to a March 13 EU Journal notice. The list updates the previous version adopted by the EU in 2019. Among the changes are new controls over software “designed or modified for the conduct of military offensive cyber operations,” according to a March 20 Baker McKenzie blog post.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 20 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):