The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a Lebanese national and two of his companies for money laundering on behalf of drug kingpins and Hizballah, OFAC said in an April 11 notice. Kassem Chams and his two businesses, Chams Exchange Company Sal and Chams Money Laundering Organization, are being designated as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers and sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced two settlements worth almost a combined $500,000 involving a United Kingdom-based oil and gas service provider, its subsidiaries and a New York-based global investment firm for violations of U.S.-imposed sanctions on Cuba and Iran.

The U.S., Mexico and several other countries expressed concern over the European Union’s plans for allocating its tariff-rate quotas after the United Kingdom’s planned withdrawal from the EU, at an April 11 meeting of the WTO trade in goods council, according to a Geneva-based trade official. “The current approach to Brexit TRQ negotiations is unacceptable and we are eager to engage [with the EU] to ensure our rights are maintained,” a U.S. representative said at the meeting.

Near North Customs Brokers acquired two Canadian brokerages within the last month, the company said in an emailed news release. "Alliance Border Services of Delta, B.C., and ISL Customs Broker, a division of Island Shipping Ltd., of Nanaimo, B.C., were both acquired within weeks of each other" as part of a "strategic push to further strengthen its portfolio and reach across British Columbia," Near North said. Terms of the deals weren't released. All employees of Alliance Border Services and ISL employees joined Near North Customs, it said. ISL will continue to "function under its own name out of Nanaimo, a highly strategic location in the customs brokerage arena."

The Transportation Security Administration is planning to update its air cargo security forms for indirect air carriers (IACs) in order to solicit residency information, the agency said in a recent notice. The TSA plans to "revise TSA Form 419F to request specific information regarding residency of Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) Principals to ensure that those principals that do not physically reside nor work in the United States can meet the STA requirements," it said. The agency said the update will also "provide a web-portal, allowing [Indirect Air Carrier Management System (IACMS)] to upload supporting documentation electronically."

The European Union filed a dispute with the World Trade Organization on April 2 over India’s “excess” duty rates for goods in the information and communications technology sector. The EU said India is levying tariffs on a range of products that should have no tariffs, including semiconductors, electrical transformers, telephone sets, microphones, circuits, wire and measuring instruments. The rates on those products “clearly exceed the bound rate” of 0 percent set in India’s Schedule of Concessions and Commitments implemented after the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the EU said. The tariff rates are “inconsistent with India's obligations” in the WTO, the EU said in its request for consultations.

In the April 10 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The Mexican Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit issued a notice April 10 amending its tax regulations related to the labeling of alcoholic beverages. According to a circular issued by the Confederation of Mexican Customs Broker Associations (CAAAREM), among the changes are new provisions on the digital printing of labels that must be adhered to alcoholic beverages, as well as on how to obtain them. The amended regulations also now include provisions on circumstances under which labelers may be prohibited from using digitally printed labels.

The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of April 10 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

China’s April 9 decision to lower taxes on certain imported goods likely won’t have a large impact on imports or trade, according to an expert on China business. The move, announced by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, will reduce the tax rate on certain goods -- such as books, computers, food, furniture and medicine -- from 15 percent to 13 percent. It will also reduce import tax rates on other products, including sporting goods, textiles and electronic appliances, from 25 percent to 20 percent (see 1904080006).