The European Union has updated the correlation list between its TARIC database and the updated list of dual-use items published as an annex to a notice issued Dec. 31, the European Commission said on its website. The Dec. 31 changes mostly relate to recent amendments agreed to at the Wassenaar Arrangement, according to a Jan. 6 blog post from law firm Baker McKenzie.

Canada plans to release final regulations for its food labeling modernization initiative early this year, according to a U.S. Department Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Jan. 9. The regulations follow a public comment period that began after Canada released proposed draft regulations for the labeling initiative in June, USDA said. Canada is also expected to publish front-of-package labeling regulations this year, along with several regulatory requirements this month, including “preventive controls and traceability requirements for the fresh fruit and vegetable sector.”

The Philippines will eliminate its import restrictions on food produced in Japan’s Fukushima region, Japan said Jan. 9, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release. Japan said the Philippines had previously required a “radioactive material inspection report” for Japanese food imports, which will now no longer be required, Japan said. Japan has implored countries to reduce restrictions created to guard against possible food-related radiation contamination from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011 (see 1911010030).

Publicly listed companies in Malaysia will be required to adopt anti-corruption measures detailed in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act by June 1, according to a Jan. 9 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The measures will require companies to establish “clear procedures” for reporting corruption and review the “effectiveness” of their policies at least once every three years, the report said. The measures are aimed at promoting “better corporate governance” in Malaysia to establish a “culture of ethical behaviour within listed companies and their group entities.”

China’s latest draft of its export control law (see 1912260029) represents the country’s first “comprehensive and consolidated” export control legislation and includes regulations for end-user statements, increased penalties and more, according to a Jan. 9 post from Baker McKenzie.

China recently amended its declaration requirements for goods entering and exiting special customs supervision areas under free trade agreements, according to a Jan. 10 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The changes, which took effect Jan. 1, aim to simplify the filing procedures for “conventional or preferential rates” by allowing the imported goods’ consignee or agent to no longer have to fill out China’s Customs Declaration Form or the Record-Filing List for Inbound Goods, the report said. The measures are expected to make it easier for goods to benefit from preferential duty treatment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing a final rule amending its regulations on its Market Access Program to eliminate the five-year limit on participation by branded products. Other updates in the final rule will bring the operation of the export promotion program “into conformance with the requirements in the Uniform Guidance,” USDA said. “Additional changes, such as the flexibility to announce program funding opportunities on the Grants.gov portal and edits to bring more consistency between the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program, are desirable to bring the administration of the program into line with current best practices in Federal grant-making.” The final rule takes effect Jan. 13.

The United Kingdom plans to establish a human rights sanctions regime after it leaves the European Union, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Jan. 9. The regime will be “inspired” by Canada’s human rights program and Britain will “look forward to collaborating” with Canada on human rights sanctions, Raab said.

The European Union is planning to impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials and people who attempted to block the country’s election process, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative, said Jan. 9. Borrell called the attempts to control the election “utterly unacceptable” and said “the EU is ready to start work towards applying targeted measures against individuals involved in the violation of these principles and rights.” U.S. officials have urged the EU to increase sanctions pressure on Venezuela (see 1912200049 and 1909240039).

The Commerce Department’s narrow set of controls on exports of geospatial imagery software issued earlier this month (see 2001030024) could foreshadow a more “targeted and restrained approach” in the agency’s emerging technology effort, according to a Jan. 8 post from Paul Hastings. By limiting the controls to software that is only “specially designed” for specific purposes, such as “training a neural network to analyze geospatial imagery,” Commerce is signaling its intention to impose controls that only capture small slivers of technology, the post said. “The move might signal an inclination by [the Bureau of Industry and Security] to take a careful approach to regulating [artificial intelligence] and other emerging technologies.”