Chinese Customs will impose late tax payment charges for failure to declare dutiable royalties on Customs forms as part of broader customs changes taking effect May 1, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The broader changes, announced by China’s General Administration of Customs on March 27, relate to requirements for filers to notify Customs if a buyer is paying dutiable royalties on the imported goods, includng payments after importation (see 1904100029).
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is asking House colleagues to become original co-sponsors of the Brunei Sanctions Act by April 29, in an April 20 letter. The bill, which would sanction certain government officials in Brunei, would make use of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Omar's letter said the U.S. “has a duty to call out the blatant disregard for humanity and the violation of basic rights wherever we see them,” and this month “the Sultanate of Brunei instituted a brutal and draconian new Penal Code that would strip away the human rights of its citizens and strengthen the government’s authoritarian grip.” The laws mandate the death penalty for various offenses, including “adultery, consensual same-sex relations, blasphemy, and robbery,” she said. The code also permits “flogging” women who have abortions and amputations for those accused of theft, among other punishments, she said. The potential U.S. sanctions would be applied to any official “who implements this draconian penal code,” Omar said, to ensure they cannot travel to or do business with the U.S.
Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Martha Barcena, speaking April 22 at the Georgetown Law School conference on U.S. ratification of the new NAFTA, implored: "We need USMCA not to be taken as a political hostage. We need USMCA to be taken in its own merits." She also said, "We should not let politics stand in the way of free trade that has yielded benefits for both of our societies."
The Trump administration will no longer grant exemptions for Iranian oil sanctions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters April 22, a move aimed at sharply reducing Iran’s oil exports and tightening pressure on the country to comply with U.S. demands. The current set of exemption waivers expire in early May, the White House said in a statement.
As the United Kingdom moves closer to its withdrawal date from the European Union in October, traditional “cookie cutter” compliance programs will not be sufficient for companies looking to remain compliant with global sanctions in Brexit’s aftermath, said Tina Carlile, a senior counsel for international trade at BP.
Correction: A national security memorandum regarding U.S. policy on conventional arms transfers that mandated enhanced trade promotion and regulatory simplification was issued April 19, 2018.
Correction: This memorandum was issued April 19, 2018.
The World Customs Organization Permanent Technical Committee has approved a draft of e-commerce technical specifications, and the package will next face review with the Policy Commission in June and the WCO Council soon after, said Ana Hinojosa, WCO director-Compliance and Facilitation. Hinojosa spoke via video at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference on April 17. There are also some discussions on e-commerce planned with the World Trade Organization, she said. "They have invited us to participate in some of their workshops and we're very interested in us to engage in their process as well," she said. "We're hopeful that those conversations will be fruitful and something will come out of that."
The Eurasian Economic Union is hoping to sign a free trade agreement with Serbia in October, according to an April 11 report from Dezan Shira & Associates. The announcement came from a board member of the Eurasian Economic Commission at an international conference earlier in April in Kazakhstan. Board member Veronika Nikishina said the EAEU has concluded negotiations with Serbia and hopes to sign the agreement this year, according to the report. Nikishina also said “just a step separates” the EAEU from wrapping up negotiations with Singapore on a “free trade zone,” the report said.
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of April 19 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):