The Trump administration is extending by one year the national emergency that had been declared 15 years ago due to the actions of the government in Syria, according to a May 8 press release from the White House. Sanctions will continue against certain Syrian people as will the ban of certain exports and re-exports to Syria. The notice said "the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining United States and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq" are a threat to U.S. national security. The emergency declaration had been in place since a 2004 executive order, and was set to expire May 11, according to the press release. "The United States will consider changes in the composition, policies, and actions of the Government of Syria in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future,” Trump said in a statement.
The Trump administration is extending the national emergency in response to "the situation in and in relation to the Central African Republic, which has been marked by a breakdown of law and order, intersectarian tension, widespread violence and atrocities," for one year beyond the May 12 expiration date, the White House said in a May 8 press release. U.S.-imposed sanctions on the country will remain in place.
The European Union said it would “reject any ultimatums” imposed by Iran after the country announced May 8 it is suspending some of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, effective immediately (see 1905080058). In a May 9 statement, the EU said it has “great concern” over Iran’s demands and “strongly” urged it to “refrain from any escalatory steps,” but also said it disapproves of U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iran following U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two companies and two ships for operating in the Venezuelan oil sector, Treasury said in a May 10 press release. As part of the announcement, it said that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “determined that persons operating in the defense and security sector of the Venezuelan economy” may be sanctioned.
During a House hearing on China’s influence in Europe, several experts said the U.S. needs to more strongly cooperate with Europe against Chinese trading practices and economic influences, including on export controls and information sharing.
China will raise tariff rates on 5,140 tariff lines of U.S. goods in response to the latest escalation in the trade war, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced May 13. It is not increasing tariffs on the U.S. imports that have not yet been part of retaliation. Instead, it is increasing the previously imposed punitive tariffs from 10 percent to 20 or 25 percent, and increasing other tariffs from 5 percent to 10 percent.
The World Customs Organization issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
France plans to eliminate glyphosate use by 2021 with “limited exceptions,” according to a May 2 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture' Foreign Agricultural Service. France Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume, who made the announcement, also said the country hopes to slash “pesticide, insecticide and fungicide” in half by 2025, saying the country should “revert to the farming methods used by their grandparents,” according to the report. The announcement was met with negative reaction from French farmers and farm unions, who claimed that “style of farming” could reduce production by 30 percent to 40 percent below today's levels, USDA said. In April, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue called Vietnam's recent ban on the importation of glyphosate “devastating” and said it could cause significant ramifications for global agricultural production (see 1904120011).
Brazil recently added the capability for electronic phytosanitary certificates in its single window portal, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply said in a press release. Implemented April 26, the new capability allows exporters to receive electronic certificates and complete the requirements of several agencies in one place, the release said. The new system includes a verification code and online query page that permits the information on the certificates to be seen by importers before the cargo arrives at its destination, it said. The data is recorded directly in the Brazilian single window, and analyzed by the Agricultural Surveillance System of the Ministry of Agriculture before the certificates are issued. The data is also visible to other agencies, such as Brazilian Customs, the release said.
Argentina is increasing its “statistical tax” on all imports for consumption and temporary imports, it said in a May 6 notice in the Argentine Official Bulletin. Effective May 7, the rate rose to 2.5 percent, up from 0.5 percent, the notice said. Similar to the U.S. Merchandise Processing Fee, the Argentina statistical tax, which is meant to cover the costs of administrative work around imports, is limited to maximum amounts based on the value of the imports. The May 6 notice sets those limits at $150 for imports up to $10,000; $2,500 for imports between $10,000 and $100,000; $25,000 for imports between $100,000 and $1,000,000; and $125,000 for all imports above $1,000,000.