China's attempts at using economic tools, such as export controls on rare earth minerals or punishing imports from Australia, have only been somewhat successful, according to Maximilian Ernst, the speaker on the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies webinar Dec. 7, called “How to Respond to China’s Carrots and Sticks? Prospects of a Transatlantic Response to Chinese Economic Coercion.” Ernst is researching Chinese coercion for a Ph.D.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service on Dec. 4 released a report on exporting to Costa Rica, detailing opportunities for U.S. agricultural products, exporter “business tips,” key “market drivers,” food standards and more. USDA said U.S. food products have a wide customer base in Costa Rica and the country’s demand for healthy, gourmet and niche snack items is increasing.

The State Department OK'd a potential military sale to Australia worth about $132 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Dec. 4. Under the proposed sale, Australia would get 155mm ammunition, accessories and related equipment. DSCA said the principal contractor will be “determined at a later date” and the equipment could “potentially be sourced from a combination” of Defense Department Stocks and “new procurement.”

The Senate is expected to vote this week on resolutions to reject proposed military sales to the United Arab Emirates, which include billions of dollars worth of F-35 fighter jets, drones and related equipment (see 2011130022). Opposition to the sales is being led by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who said last month the sales may damage U.S. national security.

The United Kingdom and Egypt signed an agreement to strengthen trade ties between the two countries and continue preferential trade access after the U.K. leaves the European Union at month's end, the U.K. said Dec. 5. The deal will provide tariff-free trade on industrial goods and liberalize trade in agriculture and fisheries, which will “make trade easier and deliver significant savings to businesses in both the UK and Egypt,” the U.K. said. “This agreement is a clear signal of the U.K.’s enduring commitment to our close bilateral relationship with Egypt and will help strengthen trade and investment ties in the future,” U.K. Trade Secretary Liz Truss said.

The Council of the European Union adopted its long-awaited human rights sanctions regime (see 2010210008), giving the EU the ability to designate people and entities that commit crimes against humanity or other “serious human rights violations,” the EU said Dec. 7. The regime will allow the EU to impose travel bans and asset freezes on violators and will block people and entities in the EU from “making funds available” to entries on the sanctions list, either “directly or indirectly,” the EU said.

The U.S. sanctioned 14 officials on China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee associated with Hong Kong’s so-called national security law, the latest escalation in a series of U.S. designations aimed at Beijing. The sanctions target various NPCSC vice chairpersons who were involved in “developing, adopting, or implementing” the law, which has allowed Beijing to “stifle dissent” and arrest pro-democracy advocates, the State Department said Dec. 7.

South Africa has issued a directive aimed at curtailing illegal trading by introducing a required “authentication process” for certain customs release notifications, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 4. The directive, meant to prevent the undervaluing of clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) goods, will require container operators and other “release authorities” to email copies of customs release notifications to the South African Revenue Service. SARS officers will check the notifications, confirm their authenticity and decide whether “release should be granted to the importer,” the report said. The authentication process will apply only to manually detained CTFL goods. The directive took effect Nov. 16.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Dec. 4 (some may also be given separate headlines):

Brazil added 288 items to its list of foreign capital goods and information technology and telecommunications goods subject to duty-free treatment under its Ex-Tarifario regime, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 4. The 267 added capital goods are classified in Harmonized System chapters 84, 85, 86, 87 and 90, while the 21 added IT and telecom goods are classified in chapters 84, 85 and 90. The goods will benefit from duty-free treatment though Dec. 31, 2021.