The White House proposed a series of regulatory principles on governing artificial intelligence development and removing “barriers” to U.S. AI innovation, in a Jan. 7 memorandum. The memo -- which comes as the Commerce Department considers export controls on emerging technologies that include AI (see 1912160032) -- said federal agencies should deploy a “regulatory approach that fosters innovation, growth, and engenders trust” while also “protecting core American values, through both regulatory and non-regulatory actions.” The memo urges agencies to avoid regulations that “needlessly hamper AI innovation and growth” and encourages them to “provide ample opportunities” for the public to comment on regulatory efforts.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order expanding U.S. sanctions authority against Iran and the Treasury Department announced a series of new Iran sanctions, including measures against senior Iranian officials, metal companies and a vessel. The executive order grants the U.S. the authority to impose a series of new primary and secondary sanctions against people and companies involved with Iran’s construction, mining, manufacturing and textiles sectors, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a Jan. 10 press conference. While the executive order only mentioned those four sectors, additional Iranian sectors may be sanctioned, Mnuchin said.

South Korea recently imposed a volume-based liquor tax for beer that will reduce costs of imported U.S. craft beer, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Jan. 8. The new 72 percent per liter liquor tax, which took effect Jan. 1, replaced the previous 72 percent “value-based liquor tax for beer,” USDA said. The change is expected to benefit “higher quality beer,” such as U.S. craft beer, which will see the “largest decline in liquor taxes,” the report said. Most “mass-produced lower price” beer will see a “minimal change” in taxes, USDA said.

India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs amended its goods and services tax rules affecting supply chain actors, according to a Jan. 3 KPMG post. The rules, which took effect Jan. 1, include an “alternative composition scheme” for suppliers with an annual turnover of about $70,000 and a “higher exemption threshold through the specific request of the state and recommendation of the GST council,” KPMG said. The rules also make changes to “modes of electronic payment for specified suppliers” and penalties for profiteering violations.

China’s Department of Foreign Trade recently introduced policies to “increase support and guidance” for border trade and the tax environment, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in a Jan. 8 report. The policies include “improving the functions of border trade zones,” a value-added tax exemption and a simplification of the declaration process “for small-scale border trade exports on a trial basis,” the report said. The policies will also support the development of “new models of e-commerce suited to border trade,” HKTDC said.

China’s Foreign Ministry criticized a report released this week by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that called for U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials, saying the commission has no “objectivity or credibility whatsoever.” The report, issued Jan. 8, also called for greater U.S. export controls on surveillance technologies being sent to China and urged the Trump administration to place more Chinese companies and agencies on the Commerce Department’s Entity List due to their involvement in human rights violations (see 2001080039).

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs began an interagency review of a final rule that would amend the country groups for Russia and Yemen under the Export Administration Regulations. OIRA received the Commerce Department rule Jan. 8.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is holding a webinar Jan. 14 to provide an introduction for its Defense Export Control and Compliance System, DDTC said in a Jan. 9 notice. The new platform, part of DDTC’s “major IT Modernization effort,” will provide industry access to DDTC applications through a single online portal, DDTC said. The agency will release the registration and licensing applications to the DECCS platform in February. The webinar is aimed at helping the “community prepare for the launch” and will include an “introduction of the functionality included in the released applications,” “highlights of changes from current business processes” and “steps users can take now in preparation.” The webinar will be held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Log-in details are provided in the notice.

A part-owner of a Florida energy company was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Justice Department said Jan. 8. Juan Jose Hernandez Comerma tried to corruptly secure contracts from Petroleos de Venezuela,S.A. (see 1910210065), Venezuela’s state-owned and U.S.-sanctioned energy company, the Justice Department said. Hernandez conspired with two other U.S. businessmen to bribe PdVSA “purchasing analysts,” the agency said. The bribes ensured their companies were placed on PdVSA’s “bidding panels,” the Justice Department said, which allowed them to secure “lucrative energy contracts.” Hernandez provided PdVSA officials with “recreational travel and entertainment” based on the percentage of contracts awarded to his company.

The House passed a bill and a resolution Jan. 8 aimed at protecting the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and exporters in the 5G sector. The measures also seek to improve the U.S.’s presence at international bodies that set standards for 5G networks and equipment over fears that China will permanently surpass U.S. 5G technology and control the market. The House passed the Secure 5G and Beyond Act, which requires several federal agencies, including the Commerce Department, to “protect the competitiveness” of U.S. companies by completing an assessment of the competitiveness and vulnerabilities of U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of 5G equipment. The bill also requires the agencies to identify “policy options” to close “security gaps” in the U.S. development of “critical technologies.”