The European Commission on March 25 lowered the liberalization rate for its steel safeguard measure from 1% to 0.1%, reducing the amount of steel that can be imported into the EU without tariffs.
New guidance published this week by the European Commission covers how EU sanctions apply to certain shipments of Russian liquified natural gas. The FAQs offer insight into how EU companies can determine whether the LNG they’re transporting is of Russian origin, how they can request permission to transport those shipments, and more.
The EU this week launched a new online sanctions help desk, featuring information on new sanctions, country-specific guidance, events, tips, compliance lessons learned and more. The help desk is geared toward helping small and medium-size companies carry out due diligence, and it will provide guidance on both EU and U.N. sanctions.
Japan imposed provisional antidumping duties on graphite electrodes from China after determining the imports caused a "material injury to domestic industry," the Ministry of Finance announced March 25. The duty rate is set at 95.2% and takes effect March 29 and is in effect through July 28.
China this week published new rules, effective March 23, for the implementation of its anti-foreign sanctions law, clarifying what types of property Beijing can freeze in response to people and companies that violate the law, who China can target with the restrictions, and more.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, plans to reintroduce a bill aimed at ensuring that courts cannot vacate previously authorized permits for liquefied natural gas export projects, a Senate aide said March 24.
The Senate voted 60-31 late March 24 to confirm former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau as deputy secretary of state. Fifty Republicans, nine Democrats and one independent backed his nomination, while 31 Democrats were opposed. Nine senators didn’t vote. A State Department website indicates Landau was sworn in for his new role March 25. Landau testified at a hearing on his nomination in early March that the Trump administration plans to build international support for using sanctions to counter Iran’s nuclear weapons program (see 2503040038).
The Treasury and State departments are reviewing a recently introduced bill to restrict outbound investment in China, a key lawmaker said March 25.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned three Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security officials who OFAC said were involved in the abduction, detention and "probable death" of former FBI agent Robert Levinson. OFAC said Iranian officials Reza Amiri Moghadam, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia and Taqi Daneshvar "all played a role in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, probable death, and Iran’s efforts to cover up or obfuscate their responsibility." Levinson disappeared in Iran in 2007 while on a CIA mission.
The U.K. this year plans to update its export controls to align them with changes recently made by the multilateral Wassenaar Arrangement, Nuclear Suppliers Group and Australia Group. The updates include changes to the technical parameters for certain advanced artificial intelligence chip uses; revisions to the definitions for “spacecraft,” “satellite,” “space probe” and “space vehicle”; and more. The U.K. said it plans to make the changes this spring.