Britain's Export Control Joint Unit published a Sept. 6 guidance on export controls for military goods, software and technology, covering when exporters need a license, which items are controlled and more. The guidance also includes contact information for an ECJU helpline to call for questions about export licensing.
The United Kingdom Parliament recently enacted a law that aims to block a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31. Given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 9, the law requires that the U.K. prime minister request an extension from the European Union on Oct. 19 that delays Brexit until Jan. 31, 2020, unless the U.K. Parliament approves a Brexit transition deal or votes to leave the EU with no deal, a BBC report said. The transition deal negotiated by the previous U.K. government under Theresa May was rejected three times (see 1903290039). According to the BBC, it is possible that current Prime Minister Boris Johnson could attempt to ignore the letter of the law or its intent. Repealing the law at this point is unlikely given the makeup of the House of Commons, but that could change if there’s a general election before Oct. 19. U.K. opposition parties have so far rejected that idea, which would require a two-thirds vote in Parliament, said a report in The Guardian. The EU would also have to approve any extension, the BBC said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 9 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Vietnam plans to revise regulations to loosen restrictions on certain auto imports to help its domestic car industry, according to a Sept. 9 report from Vietnam Customs’ mouthpiece CustomsNews. The revised regulations may change when certain car imports are inspected to help “improve quality and lower production costs to increase competitiveness,” the report said. Vietnam is also considering lowering import tariff rates on car parts and not applying a “special consumption tax for automobiles which are locally-produced,” in an effort to lower prices of domestic vehicles and increase competitive pricing, the report said.
South Korea is planning to officially remove Japan from its list of trusted trading partners next week, according to a Sept. 9 report from Yonhap News Agency. A South Korean trade official told reporters the country plans to make the announcement next week “after going through reviews,” according to the report. South Korea recently criticized Japan’s August decision to increase export controls on South Korea, calling for an “immediate withdrawal” of the restrictions (see 1908290045).
Richard Luthmann, a Staten Island, New York, lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and extortion in March (see 1903190032), the Justice Department said in a news release. Luthmann participated in a scheme to contract with overseas companies to sell and ship them containers of valuable scrap metal, but instead packed the containers with "worthless filler materials," such as concrete blocks, the DOJ said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general license authorizing certain transactions with Venezuela and amended a Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Question, OFAC said in a Sept. 9 notice. General License No. 34 allows certain transactions with Venezuelan government officials if they are U.S. citizens, residents, have U.S. visas or are former Venezuelan government employees. The FAQ, number 680, is amended to address GL 34 implications and deals with which transactions with Venezuelan government employees are blocked.
The U.S. trade representative and India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have been talking on the phone, with the goal of trading a return to the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program for better agricultural access, according to two sources following the trade talks. The original industry complaints about market access filed with USTR, requesting that India be expelled from GSP privileges were from the medical device industry and from the dairy industry. A lawyer following the trade talks said that "there's talk -- and this is still a very contentious issue" -- that the pricing controls on medical devices, such as stents, would be changed in India.
U.S. farmers and producers are lagging behind in agricultural production, impacting trade and exports, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said. Those same farmers and producers are suffering from “catastrophic” conditions from trade-war tariffs, leading to a potentially problematic increase in federal aid to the U.S. agriculture sector, trade experts said.
Laura Dawson, director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center, will join the Amazon Web Services Institute as Americas director in October, she said in a Sept. 6 email.