Michael Roberts, previously general counsel at Crowley Maritime Corp., was named the company's senior vice president for government relations, Crowley said in a news release. "The move will enhance the company’s presence in Washington to better address the important policy and regulatory issues affecting the maritime and logistics industry, and to increase support for the company’s fast-growing work on behalf of the federal government," the company said. Parker Harrison, previously senior vice president of procurement and risk management, will become general counsel, the company said.

The World Customs Organization issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:​​

In the April 2 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom on April 2 signed a trade continuity agreement with Norway and Iceland, the U.K. Department for International Trade said in a press release. The agreement, which takes effect in the event the U.K. leaves the European Union with no transition deal in place -- currently scheduled for April 12 -- “maintains the same level of tariffs on goods traded between the UK, Iceland and Norway,” the release said. “Trading on these preferential terms in a no deal scenario, rather than on World Trade Organization terms, will deliver significant savings and help to safeguard British jobs.”

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs on April 2 updated its notice on deferring duty, value-added tax (VAT) and other import charges. Updated sections include what can be deferred, payments, guarantees, deferment approval, procedure, statements and duty deferment approval criteria. The information in the notice had not been updated substantively since it was first issued in March 2009.

The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of April 2 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing a translation of China’s food safety standard for fresh and frozen livestock and poultry products, in a Global Agricultural Information Network report posted April 1. “The Standard applies to fresh and frozen livestock and poultry products, but does not apply to ready-to-eat raw meat products,” USDA said. China’s National Food Safety Standard for Fresh and Frozen Livestock and Poultry Products was implemented in June 2017, replacing previous standards issued in 2005.

The Trump administration is considering increasing sanctions pressure on Venezuela by imposing sanctions on companies from third countries that do business with President Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan regime, according to a March 29 report by Reuters. The potential move was announced by John Bolton, White House national security adviser, who told Reuters the administration is moving in the “direction” of secondary sanctions.

Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 25-29 in case they were missed.

The U.S. continues to pursue “vigorous engagement” with China to “increase the benefits” that U.S. businesses, service providers and consumers “derive from trade and economic ties” with the Chinese, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in its annual report on global foreign trade barriers (see 1904010045). China’s trade practices “in several specific areas,” especially forced technology transfer and the Made in China 2025 industrial program, continue to “cause particular concern” for U.S. “stakeholders,” USTR said.