The State Department approved a potential $1.5 billion military sale to Australia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a Jan. 15 press release. The sale will include “long lead items, engineering development activities, and other defense services,” including the modernization of Hobart Class Destroyers and various weapons systems. The DSCA said there are a “significant number of companies under contract with the U.S. Navy” that will provide components, systems and services to complete the sale, but “a significant portion of the effort” will be completed by Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems.
The Department of Homeland Security plans to “expand its capacity to assess civil penalties and pursue criminal prosecutions against U.S. importers for violations of forced labor authorities,” it said in a recently released strategy document aiming at fighting forced labor imports and human trafficking. “DHS will consider streamlining regulatory frameworks guiding the process for forced labor enforcement actions,” it said. “DHS will also coordinate, consolidate, and publicize allegation and intake reporting channels and other information to ensure quality, actionable leads, gain information for ongoing cases, and verify forced labor allegations.“
The U.S., China, Germany, the United Kingdom and others called on the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on people or companies violating the arms embargo or ceasefire in Libya, according to a Jan. 19 press release from Germany’s federal press office. The countries also called on UN member states to enforce the sanctions, “including through national implementation measures.” The statement was issued after the Berlin Conference on Libya, which gathered countries to “assist” the UN in “unifying the International Community in their support for a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis,” the statement said.
The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security updated its organizational chart to reflect staffing changes. The chart, which was updated Jan. 22, lists Cordell Hull as acting undersecretary for industry and security, Jeremy Pelter as performing the non-exclusive duties of acting deputy undersecretary for industry and security, Kevin Kurland as deputy chief of staff for policy, and Stephen Billy as deputy chief of staff.
Most aspects of the United Kingdom’s trading environment will remain the same for U.K. companies during the Brexit transition period, according to Kevin Shakespeare, director of stakeholder engagement at the Institute of Export and International Trade. But there are some important developments companies should monitor, including a changing trade relationship with Ireland, preparing for new customs procedures and an unclear environment surrounding origin of goods. Perhaps most importantly, Shakespeare said, U.K. traders need to maintain communication with customers, suppliers and stakeholders to retain their confidence during the transition period.
Jordan’s customs authority will create a pilot zone in the Aqaba Customs Center for processing container shipments using the digital customs platform TradeLens, according to a Jan. 20 Hong Kong Trade Development Council report. TradeLens was jointly developed by IBM and Maersk and its integration is part of a “number of recent initiatives” by Jordan to increase trade and improve customs clearance processes and costs, the report said. TradeLens will provide “efficiencies” for companies and government agencies throughout the supply chain by providing a “single and secure source of shipping data,” the HKTDC said. The online platform is already in use by Thailand (see 1908300043).
In the Jan. 17-21 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The European Union’s antidumping and countervailing duties on biodiesel from the U.S. are set to expire Sept. 16, 2020, unless EU producers file a written request for an expiry review by June 16, the European Commission said in a pair of notices. “This request must contain sufficient evidence that the expiry of the measures would be likely to result in a continuation or recurrence of dumping [or subsidisation] and injury. Should the Commission decide to review the measures concerned, importers, exporters, representatives of the exporting country and Union producers will then be provided with the opportunity to amplify, rebut or comment on the matters set out in the review request,” the notice said.
A Singapore woman was fined $52,000 for making false declarations, breaching permit conditions and other customs violations, Singapore Customs said in a Jan. 20 press release. The woman also failed to deposit dutiable goods in a licensed warehouse and gave the customs agency “false supporting documents” in violation of the country’s Customs Act. The woman, Heng Sok Tian, is the manager of Tania Asia Logistics Pte Ltd and Free Trade Zone Logistics & Transportation, Singapore said.
China announced plans to substantially reduce its use of plastic by 2025, which will include curbs on plastic waste imports, according to a Jan. 19 report from Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. China said it will “gradually ban or restrict the production, sales and use of certain plastics” over the next five years, including introducing “prohibitions on … imports of plastic waste.”