Even as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held out hope for a President Joe Biden rolling back tariffs on imports from countries other than China, it doesn't expect Congress to limit a president's ability to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber and its top policy officer, said that if Biden were to win, “he may choose a slightly different path” on tariffs than Donald Trump has.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will no longer lead the committee even if Republicans retain the majority in the Senate. The Republicans have term limits for committee chairmanships, so he will move on. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is the most senior member of the committee, and thus is the next expected chairman, though that move has not yet been settled.
The State Department removed certain sanctions from an Islamic organization in western China, it said in a notice released Nov 4. The move revoked the designation of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement as a “terrorist organization” under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Three U.S. companies said they may have violated U.S. sanctions or export controls related to overseas sales and illegally processed payments, according to their most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The potential violations include disclosures of dealings with sanctioned businesses, including sales to Iran.
Saudi Arabia recently introduced new requirements for imports of certain consumer goods, KPMG said in a Nov. 2 post. The measures require manufacturers and importers to first obtain clearance through Saudi Arabia’s electronic “SABER platform,” which is intended to address fraud and safety concerns surrounding imports. The requirement will apply to all consumer products referred to as “regulated products,” KPMG said, including lube oils, detergents, building materials, construction products, paints, lifts, vehicle spare parts and textiles.
The European Commission referred Poland to the European Union's Court of Justice due to its failure to comply with EU duty exemptions for alcohol imports used in the production of medicine, the EC said in an Oct. 30 news release. Poland’s national practices stipulate that it will not apply the exemption “when the alcohol importers do not choose to use a duty suspension arrangement,” the EC said. The Polish practice “runs against provisions of EU law on the harmonisation of the structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages and the principle of proportionality,” the EC said.
Germany revised and added to its list of items subject to dual-use and military-related export controls, the EU Sanctions blog said Nov. 2. The additions, which took effect Oct. 29, include small firearms and components related to hunting and sports, software specially designed for “military offensive cyber operations,” certain land vehicles with military equipment, equipment relating to radiation weapons systems, and items used at “environmental testing facilities” to evaluate weapons and ammunition.
China will allow imports of dried chili peppers from Uzbekistan, a notice from China’s General Administration of Customs said Nov. 3, according to an unofficial translation. The notice outlines inspection and quarantine requirements for the imported peppers. Dried chili peppers produced starting Nov. 3 will be allowed.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls this week released the minutes from its Oct. 22 Defense Trade Advisory Group plenary meeting. The minutes cover remarks made by the group’s chair, Andrea Dynes, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade Controls Mike Miller, and notes from each of the working groups' presentations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security did not impose penalties on a U.S. electronics company that had disclosed potential export violations (see 1911290004) for shipments involving Iran and Syria, Arrow Electronics said in an Oct. 29 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Arrow, which disclosed that it helped ship $5,000 worth of products to resellers covered by U.S. sanctions, said BIS closed its investigation and issued the company a warning letter with no penalties. BIS declined to comment. Arrow said it is still being investigated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for the sanctions violations, which “may result in the imposition of penalties.”