Brazil requested dispute consultations with the U.S. at the World Trade Organization on Aug. 11 regarding the 50% tariffs that President Donald Trump recently imposed on Brazilian goods. Brazil said the measures are inconsistent with U.S. obligations under Articles I and II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and Articles 23.1 and 23.2 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).
Germany is halting certain exports of military equipment to Israel out of concern that German weapons may be used against civilians in Gaza, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Aug. 8.
The State Department last week approved a possible $160 million military sale to Canada, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The sale includes "Joint Light Tactical Vehicles" and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be AM General, LLC.
President Donald Trump said that he is open to the possibility of normalizing trade relations with Russia if his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin goes well.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, introduced a bill Aug. 8 that would sanction persons who knowingly provide content or media services to sanctioned foreign propaganda outlets. The bill was referred to several committees, including House Foreign Affairs. Further information on the legislation wasn’t immediately available.
Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Tom Kean, R-N.J., reintroduced a bill Aug. 8 that would authorize $100 million over four years to upgrade the Bureau of Industry and Security’s aging information technology systems.
The State Department labeled the Balochistan Liberation Army a Foreign Terrorist Organization and added several aliases to its existing entry as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (see 1907020042), it said in Federal Register notices released this week. The additional aliases are Majeed Brigade, Fateh Squad and Zephyr Intelligence Research and Analysis Bureau. The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated its sanctions entry for the group to reflect the change.
Pacific Biosciences of California, an American biotechnology firm, said it recently informed the Bureau of Industry and Security about possible export violations involving China.
Semiconductor companies Nvidia and AMD are expected to pay the U.S. government a portion of the profits they earn from selling certain controlled chips to China, an arrangement that has sparked concerns and questions among exporters, lawmakers and former government officials.
A Federal Maritime Commission small claims officer on Aug. 7 dismissed a complaint against New Jersey-based Citi Freight Logistics (CFI) and Best International Cargo (BIC) of Canada, saying HP Logistics (HPL) failed to show that the firms engaged in unfair charging practices for dismantling and shipping an excavator from Tennessee to Vietnam.