Some United Kingdom exporters may be experiencing delays in applications for three specific open general export licenses (OGEL) because of incorrect information submitted by the applicant, the U.K. said in a Dec. 7 notice. When applying for certain OGELs that require exporters to first obtain an approval letter from the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the applicants must include in their submission the “full contact details” of the Ministry of Defense Project Team that has awarded the exporter its contract. That information must include a telephone number and email address, the U.K. said. “Without this information [the U.K.’s Export Control Joint Unit] MOD will be unable to process the request which will be returned to the requester to provide the missing information,” the notice said. “This will lead to a delay in the exporter being able to use the OGEL.”

China said it will retaliate for U.S. sanctions against 14 National People’s Congress Standing Committee officials (see 2012070024), calling the moves damaging to U.S.-China relations. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the sanctions were imposed with “vicious intent” and urged the U.S. to reverse them. “We have this solemn message for the United States: The Chinese government is firmly determined to oppose U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs, to uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and to implement ‘one country, two systems,’” the spokesperson said Dec. 8. “In response to the egregious act by the U.S. side, China will take firm and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.”

China temporarily suspended poultry imports from Belgium due to an “avian influenza” outbreak in one of the country’s commercial farms, a Dec. 7 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. All illegal imports of poultry or poultry products from Belgium will be returned or destroyed, China said. The suspension took effect Dec. 7.

China will allow imports of Mongolian flour, the country’s General Administration of Customs said in a Dec. 7 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The notice includes quarantine and inspections requirements for the imports.

The State Department approved a potential military sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. worth about $280 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Dec. 7. The proposed sale to Taiwan includes a “Field Information Communications System” and related equipment. The principal contractor is unknown pending “open competition for selection,” DSCA said.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that he hopes that a technical fixes bill for USMCA can pass this month, but its passage is hung up on whether goods manufactured in foreign-trade zones should be able to benefit from USMCA if those goods meet the rules of origin.

Claims that a ban on single-use plastics is a trade restriction prohibited in the USMCA are wrong, seven Democratic senators, led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canada Trade Minister Mary Ng. The senators' Dec. 7 letter said the industry groups incorrectly argue the ban “would not be based on sound science. In fact, the science clearly shows the detrimental impact of single-use plastics. An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the oceans each year.”

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Dec. 7 issued two new frequently asked questions and updated four additional FAQs related to a January executive order that expanded U.S. sanctions authority against Iran (see 2001100050). The two new FAQs clarify whether transactions related to international organizations and Iran’s participation in international legal proceedings are subject to secondary sanctions.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued two sets of sanctions, one targeting Iran’s military, the other shipping companies transporting North Korean coal. The Dec. 8 announcements target two people, seven entities and four vessels.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs began reviewing a proposed State Department rule concerning the definition of a regular employee in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. OIRA received the rule Dec. 3. The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls didn’t comment.