Mid-level negotiations between Chinese negotiators and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative staffers on Sept. 19 and 20 were productive, USTR announced after the close of business on Sept. 20. "The United States looks forward to welcoming a delegation from China for principal-level meetings in October," the announcement said.
President Donald Trump was silent on trade frictions when he appeared before tens of thousands of Indian-Americans in Houston on Sept. 22. On stage with him, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi only hinted at a possible solution to India's expulsion from the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program (see 1909060029). According to a transcript of the event issued by the White House, Modi said that over the next two to three days, he and Trump would discuss economic issues. "I hope that from these discussions as well we will have very positive results," he said. "By the way, President Trump calls me a tough negotiator. However, he himself is quite an expert in the 'art of the deal.' And I am learning quite a lot from him."
The European Parliament called on the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions and a “comprehensive” arms embargo on anyone accused of human rights violations against the Rohingya population in Myanmar, the parliament said Sept. 19. The parliament called on the EU “to promote the adoption of a resolution on Myanmar” during the next UN Human Rights Council session.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a Sept. 23 notice reminding blocked-property holders to submit their Annual Report of Blocked Property by Sept. 30. A report must be submitted of all blocked property held as of June 30, OFAC said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a $4 million settlement with British Arab Commercial Bank plc for 72 violations of the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations, OFAC said in a Sept. 17 notice.
The promise of good news for farmers in the U.S.-Japan trade deal is oversold, five Democrats told U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, as they complained in a letter about how the deal was negotiated without keeping Congress in the loop.
In the Sept. 20 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs on Sept. 20 published a new guidance document outlining new requirements for European Union companies trading with the U.K. following a no-deal Brexit. The guidance includes information on getting goods through customs once the U.K. leaves the EU, as well as changes to value-added tax and the VAT IT systems, transferring personal data, and complying with U.K. product standards.
The United Kingdom and Japan signed a deal to temporarily recognize each other’s standards conformity assessment regimes after Brexit until a formal mutual recognition agreement is put into place, the U.K. Department for International Trade said. It covers electrical products, telecommunications and radio equipment, good laboratory practice (GLP) for chemicals and good manufacturing practice (GMP) for medicinal products, and provides that Japan and the U.K. recognize each other’s conformity testing. That means U.K. goods will be able to be tested in the U.K. against Japanese regulations and sold in Japan without additional testing, and vice versa. The agreement will take effect upon the U.K.’s exit from the European Union, and remain in effect until a U.K.-Japan MRA comes into force, the U.K. said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 20 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):