Greg Pollock, a former senior Pentagon official, recently left the Defense Department after nearly two decades working on national security issues related to China, Russia and more, he announced May 21 on LinkedIn. Pollock was most recently the acting deputy assistant secretary of defense. He also served stints as the department's policy director for Russia and arms control policy and as an analyst in the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The EU launched an antidumping duty investigation May 22 on polyethylene terephthalate from Vietnam. The European Commission said it may impose antidumping duties on the covered goods if it finds the EU PET industry is injured by dumped imports. The investigation will run for up to 14 months, though provisional duties may be imposed within eight months. The EU said it currently has antidumping duties on PET plastic from China and countervailing duties on the same goods from India.
The European Parliament this week approved a European Commission proposal to raise tariffs on certain agricultural products, including nitrogen-based fertilizers, from Russia and Belarus by 50% (see 2501290037). The new duty, if approved by EU foreign ministers, would apply to Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods that haven't yet been subject to "extra customs duties," Parliament said. Along with certain fertilizers, the tariffs would apply to sugar, vinegar, flour and animal feed.
The State Department approved a possible $180 million military sale to Poland, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said May 21. The sale includes "GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs," and the principal contractor will be Boeing.
A bill that would sanction Russia and its supporters if Moscow rejects peace talks with Ukraine had gained the support of about 80 senators, or four-fifths of the Senate, as of May 22.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced a bill May 21 aimed at making it faster and easier to sell arms to Taiwan.
Cecilia Malmstrom, a former top European Commission trade official, said the EU is "painfully aware that the transatlantic relationship as we used to know it has been severely damaged."
The United Steelworkers urged President Donald Trump May 22 to reject Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp.'s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, saying the deal could harm domestic steel manufacturing.
The U.K. this week renewed its Russia sanctions license that authorizes certain payments to charities linked to sanctioned parties. The license authorizes transactions by interim managers or trustees appointed by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Under the license, which now runs through May 30, 2028, interim managers or trustees may authorize payments for the basic needs of the charity, to disperse charitable funds and to "wind up" the charity. The license was scheduled to expire May 30.
The EU issued a new set of sanctions this week for people and entities with ties to chemical weapons, human rights abuses and Russian "hybrid threats." The additions were announced concurrently with the bloc's 17th sanctions package on Russia (see 2505200057).