The European Union wants to work more closely with the U.S. on sanctions and technology issues and is hoping to establish an international trade and technology council to regulate emerging technologies, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said. Speaking during a Feb. 1 event hosted by the German Marshall Fund, Dombrovskis also called for more EU-U.S. unity on a range of other topics, including reform at the World Trade Organization and measures to counter illegal Chinese trade practices. “This is precisely why we need to put our current trade disputes behind us,” Dombrovskis said, referencing the Boeing/Airbus dispute and U.S. Section 232 tariffs on European steel and aluminum (see 2101270049).
The European Union recently issued guidance and Canada updated its frequently asked questions on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The EU guidance covers rules of origin under the deal, including the process for declaring origin and details for a range of product-specific rules. Canada on Jan. 26 updated its FAQs, detailing how Brexit will affect market access for Canadian goods, and offering information on labeling requirements, tariff rates and more.
The European Union’s new export requirements surrounding COVID-19 vaccines (see 2101270027) will not affect exports to Canada, a top EU official said. The “proposed EU measures will not affect vaccine shipments to Canada,” EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told Canadian Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng during a Jan. 28 conversation, according to a Global Affairs Canada readout. Ng “pressed” Dombrovskis on the “importance of ensuring that critical health and medical supply chains remain open and resilient,” GAC said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 29 (some may also be given separate headlines):
A new South Korea anti-corruption regulator to target high-ranking government officials could affect private companies doing business with the country, an FCPA Blog post said Jan. 20. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials will act as an independent agency to investigate corruption cases among both acting and retired public officials, the post said. The body can also investigate crimes related to corruption, including bribes paid by private companies or companies that “acted as accomplices to the crimes committed by high-ranking officials.” The agency is expected to start work in the “next few months,” the post said. Companies doing business in South Korea “should carefully review their risk profiles with respect to interactions with Korea’s senior officials.”
An Ecuadorian businessman was sentenced to 35 months in prison for his role in a $4.4 million bribery scheme that violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Justice Department said Jan. 28. Armengol Alfonso Cevallos Diaz, who pleaded guilty to the charges last year (see 2001240032), worked with others to bribe officials at Empresa Publica de Hidrocarburos del Ecuador (PetroEcuador), Ecuador's state-owned oil company, the Justice Department said. The agency also said it charged former PetroEcuador officials and other businessmen and contractors involved in the scheme.
The Bureau of Industry and Security last week published an updated version of its senior management team. BIS now lists Jeremy Pelter as acting undersecretary; G. Nagesh Rao as acting chief information officer; and Opher Shweiki as acting chief counsel.
The Bureau of Industry and Security fined a Singapore-based electronics and software distributor more than $3 million and suspended its export privileges for violating the Export Administration Regulations, which included illegal exports to China and Iran, according to a Jan. 29 order. BIS said Avnet Asia Pte., Ltd. committed 53 EAR violations over several years when it sold export-controlled electronic components totaling more than $1 million. The Justice Department also charged Chinese national Cheng Bo, a former Avnet Asia employee, for participating in a conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws.
The Senate voted 55-42 Jan. 28 to invoke cloture on homeland security secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas, setting up a Feb. 1 confirmation vote. Six Republicans voted to move forward on Mayorkas, including the Homeland Security Committee's incoming lead Republican, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. The chamber also set a Feb. 2 vote to confirm transportation secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg, which he’s likely to easily clear. The Senate Commerce Committee recently advanced Buttigieg 21-3.
Japanese lawmakers plan to launch a multi-partisan group to draft sanctions legislation targeting human rights violations, the EU Sanctions blog said in a Jan. 28 post. The group plans to hold its first meeting this month.