The United Nations Security Council renewed its Mali sanctions until Aug. 31, 2020, the council said in an Aug. 29 notice. The sanctions place asset freezes on certain Malian entities and people.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its guide of the country’s consolidated list of asset freeze targets, the U.K. said in an Aug. 30 notice. The list also includes “persons subject to restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions” in Ukraine, the U.K. said. The list includes a new search function that will allow users to “quickly and easily” search the targets based on any identifying information, according to a post from Baker McKenzie.

The Treasury’s Sept. 3 sanctions against three space-related Iranian entities were aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear development and missile programs, the State Department said. The three sanctioned entities -- the Iran Space Agency, the Iran Space Research Center and the Astronautics Research Institute (see 1909030054) -- are all run by the Iranian government and develop technologies that can be used in Iranian missile systems, the State Department said. Technologies such as space launch vehicles are virtually identical and interchangeable with those used in intercontinental ballistic missiles, and when put to use in the civilian space program allow Iran’s space agencies “to gain experience with various technologies” needed to develop rocket-propelled weapons delivery systems, the U.S. said.

Britain's Department for International Trade updated its guidance on special rules for exporting military or dual-use goods, including when exporters need a license, various required forms and how the U.K. determines whether to approve a license, according to an Aug. 30 notice. The guidance also includes information on how to export dual-use goods if the U.K. leaves the European Union without a deal.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on a shipping network that moves hundreds of millions of dollars of oil for Iran, Treasury said in a Sept. 4 press release. The network includes dozens of ship managers, ships and “facilitators” overseen by Rostam Qasemi, a senior Iranian military official and the country’s former minister of petroleum. The sanctions target 16 entities, 10 people and 11 ships.

U.S. export controls are confusing, burdensome and often place U.S. companies at a disadvantage compared with foreign competitors, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said in an Aug. 29 report.

In the Sept. 3 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs is reopening the period for companies that file customs declarations to apply for grants for training and information technology improvements ahead of the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union, HMRC said in an updated guidance document. Grants are available for U.K.-based companies that either complete customs declarations (or do so on an importer’s behalf) or intend to once the U.K. is outside the EU. IT grants are available for small businesses that complete customs declarations for importers and exporters. “You can use the funding to reimburse what your business has spent on relevant IT improvements and training since 31 July 2019, as well as in the future,” HMRC said.

The European Union published a notice Sept. 3 announcing changes to its safeguards on steel products meant to avoid double counting for goods also subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. For any goods subject to the three-year tariff-rate quotas on steel that become subject to the 25 percent out-of-quota rate, no AD/CV duties will be collected if the applicable total of AD and CV duty rates does not exceed 25 percent. AD/CV duties will only be collected if they exceed 25 percent total, and by the amount at which they exceed 25 percent, the notice says.

Singapore is revising its end-user statement formats for bulk permits and individual permits for its Strategic Trade Scheme, Singapore Customs said in a Sept. 2 notice. Singapore said the formats have been standardized and will take effect Nov. 1. The formats are available for download on the Singapore Customs website.