Canada needs to step up its meat export certification system, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said during a June 26 press conference. Asked about a temporary ban on Canadian meat, Shuang said that Chinese customs found "ractopamine residues in pork products exported from Canada to China." During a subsequent investigation, China found "the official veterinary health certificates for the batch of pork exported to China were counterfeit and the number of those forgery certificates was up to 188," he said. "These forged certificates were sent to the Chinese regulatory authorities through Canadian official certificate notification channel, which reflects that the Canadian meat export supervision system has obvious safety loopholes."

The Canada Border Services Agency published some rate of duty reductions included in the Canada-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement and the Information Technology Agreement Expansion, in a new customs notice. The Canada-EFTA duty reductions apply to these subheadings:

Canada issued multiple new regulations related to Canada’s accession to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in the Canada Gazette, Part II. Among those is the new permit for the export of Arms Trade Treaty items to the U.S. meant to "provide a streamlined permitting process for the export of most ATT items." The regulations also include a brokering control list, brokering permit regulations, and regulations specifying activities that do not constitute brokering. The regulations will take effect on Sept. 1, according to another notice. The regulations were proposed in March (see 1904150033).

Canada updated its compositional standards for vodka, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a notice. The new standard, which "allows vodka to be produced from agricultural products other than potato and cereal grain," aligns the requirements with major trading partners, the CFIA said. The update includes a new labeling requirement. "When vodka is produced from agricultural material other than just potatoes or cereal grains, the material used in producing the vodka must be indicated on the label with the expression 'Produced from' and the names of the material used," it said. Starting Dec. 14, 2022, "only the new regulatory requirements apply," the agency said.

Technip FMC (TFMC) and its subsidiary Technip USA, reached a $296 million settlement with the Justice Department after being charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a June 25 press release.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations advanced a bill on June 25 that would repeal the ban on all exports to Cyprus that fall on the U.S. Munitions List. The change would prohibit the State Department from denying exports, re-exports or transfers of defense items and services to Cyprus as long as Cyprus is the end-user, the bill states. The repeal would advance U.S. “security interests” in Europe by helping Cyprus reduce its dependence on “other countries” for defense products, including countries that “pose challenges” to the U.S., the bill said. The change comes as part of a larger bill that would require the State Department to submit reports to Congress on Russian interference in Cyprus, Greece and Israel. The bill would also call on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Turkey and Russia if Turkey carries out its plan to buy an S-400 air defense system from Russia.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer said he thinks the House could be able to have a vote in the fall on the new NAFTA. Blumenauer, from Oregon and one of nine House Democrats who are tasked with negotiating changes to the deal with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said he expects the group will meet with USTR "at least once a week." Speaking at a Washington International Trade Association event June 26, he joked that Lighthizer spends so much time meeting with House members and caucuses, "I think he travels the world just to get away from us." Lighthizer is on his way to Osaka, Japan, for the G-20 meeting. He met with the working group the afternoon before he left.

The U.S. should negotiate deals and strengthen trade with Mexico, Korea and Taiwan, a move that would substantially help U.S. exporters, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said in a June report. The report offers several policy recommendations for Congress and the Trump administration to boost exports, including: sign a U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement, pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, “reanimate” the Trade in Services Agreement, continue stifling Chinese “innovation mercantilism,” and ensure U.S. export controls don’t hinder exports to Taiwan, Mexico and Korea.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the North Korea Sanctions Regulations to update references to “descriptive text” for certain entries on OFAC’s sanctions list, OFAC said in notice. The changes update references for entries on the Specially Designated Nationals List and List of Foreign Financial Institutions Subject to Correspondent Account or Payable-Through Account Sanctions. The notice is scheduled to be published June 28.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended a Venezuela-related General License and extended the expiration date of two Ukraine-related General Licenses, OFAC said in a June 26 notice. OFAC is amending Venezuela-related General License 13A to extend its expiration date to Oct. 25, 2019, the notice said. Both Ukraine-related General Licenses No. 13L and No. 15F are extended until Nov. 8, 2019, OFAC said. General License No. 15F also includes a new authorization “for certain safety-related activity,” the notice said.