Singapore Customs issued Nov. 18 circulars on how importers and exporters can benefit from preferential treatment under the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which will take effect Nov. 21. The exporting guide covers new rules of origin under the EUSFTA, customs documentation procedures and record-keeping requirements. The importing guide covers which goods will be subject to preferential tariff rates and procedures for claiming those tariff rates, as well as customs procedures and record-keeping requirements.

The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its Iran sanctions to correct identifying information for Mehr Bank, OFSI said Nov. 18. Mehr Bank is still subject to sanctions.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people and five entities related to financial, procurement and recruitment networks for ISIS, Treasury said in a Nov. 18 press release. The people and entities are located in Turkey and Afghanistan. The sanctioned parties include Sahloul Money Exchange Company, Al-Sultan Money Transfer Company, Tawasul Company, Ismail Bayaltun, Ahmet Bayaltun, ACL Ithalat Ihracat, Nejaat Social Welfare Organization, Sayed Habib Ahmad Khan and Rohullah Wakil.

The State Department added five sub-entities to the Cuba Restricted List, according to a Nov. 19 notice. The entities include: Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas Beach Resort and Spa, Gran Muthu Imperial Hotel, Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel, Gran Hotel Bristol Kempinski and the Grand Aston Varadero Resort. The move blocks all direct financial transactions with the entities because they would “disproportionately benefit” Cuba’s military and security services, the State Department said in a press release.

The State Department sanctioned Julio Cesar Gandarilla Bermejo, Cuba’s minister of the interior, for human rights violations in Venezuela, the agency said in a Nov. 16 press release. State also sanctioned Bermejo’s children, Julio Cesar Gandarilla Sarmiento and Alejandro Gandarilla Sarmiento.

The Congressional Research Service issued a report Nov. 15 on Iran sanctions, detailing the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign and Europe’s efforts to keep trade flowing to the country, and providing an overview of the current state of restrictive measures against Iran. The report also contains an appendix of all sanctions imposed against Iran by the U.S., the United Nations, the European Union and others.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross named Cordell Hull deputy undersecretary for industry and security and Joe Semsar the deputy undersecretary at the International Trade Administration, a Commerce spokesperson said Nov. 18. The two were appointed to their positions Nov. 12, the spokesperson said.

The Commerce Department renewed the temporary general license for Huawei and 114 of its non-U.S. affiliates until Feb. 16, Commerce announced Nov. 18. The renewal -- the license’s second extension (see 1908190039) since it was issued in May -- authorizes certain specific activities and transactions, including those related to existing network operations of mobile services, despite Huawei's addition to the Entity List.

The European Union raised a dispute in the World Trade Organization against what it said are illegal antidumping measures used by Colombia on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, the European Commission said Nov. 14. The commission said the antidumping duties violate WTO rules “both on substance and in terms of the procedure.” Colombia imposes duties ranging from 3 percent to 8 percent on EU imports, affecting nearly 85 percent of EU exports of frozen fries to Colombia, the commission said. The commission has “not received a satisfactory response” from Colombia “despite numerous interventions … to lift the unjustified measures,” Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement. The EU hopes to resolve the dispute “as soon as possible,” she said.

Italy introduced two value-added tax-related measures that are expected to be signed into law by Dec. 25, including a measure impacting VAT payments on fuel products in VAT warehouses and a change to the country’s frequent exporters’ scheme, KPMG said in a Nov. 14 alert.