CBP will extend its travel restrictions on the northern and southern borders through Oct. 21, it said in two notices released Sept. 21. The travel restrictions were to expire Sept. 21 (see 2008200003). The travel bans do not apply to cargo, and exempt crossing the border from Canada or Mexico to work in the U.S.
U.S. pecan exporters may see an expanding market in Taiwan due to a spike in demand for pecan imports, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report issued Sept. 18 said. Taiwan pecan imports rose by 74% in 2019, and room for pecans to expand in the market, specifically in the snacking sector, is “strong,” USDA said. The agency said Taiwan is the second-largest Asian market for U.S. shelled pecan exports.
New customs codes and procedures for trade in China's Yangpu Bonded Port Area went into effect Sept. 20, the General Administration of Customs said in a notice that day, according to an unofficial translation. The notice details new codes for indicating the port area in import and export declarations and methods for collecting statistics on trade to and from the port.
The Commerce Department delayed its ban on TikTok and a federal judge temporarily blocked the agency from imposing prohibitions on WeChat, complicating prohibitions that Commerce announced last week in response to President Donald Trump's executive order (see 2009180026). Commerce on Sept. 19 said it will “delay the prohibition of identified transactions” -- which were scheduled to take effect Sept. 20 -- until Sept. 27. The agency made the decision “in light of recent positive developments” surrounding the sale of TikTok.
The owner of a Chicago technology company was charged with illegally exporting computer equipment to a Pakistani government nuclear research agency, the Justice Department said Sept. 21. The indictment charges Chicago-area resident Padula Syed, who owns Chicago-based BSI USA as well as Pakistan-based Business System International Pvt. LTD. Syed and Business Systems International were charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and foreign trade regulations, and violating IEEPA.
The U.S. announced a range of new sanctions and restrictions against Iran, including an executive order, additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List (see 2009210018) and new sanctions by the Treasury and State Department. The executive order, issued Sept. 21, targets Iran-related arms transfers, while the Treasury and State Department’s sanctions target a range of people and entities associated with Iranian nuclear and arms development.
The U.S. officially initiated the snapback of United Nations sanctions on Iran (see 2008210009), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sept. 19. The move will return “virtually all” sanctions on Iran that were previously terminated by the U.N. under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Pompeo said. He said the U.S. made the move because the U.N. did not extend the Iranian arms embargo scheduled to expire in October (see 2004130011).
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation revised 11 entries under its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida sanctions. The revisions include changes to identifying information for the entries, which remain subject to an asset freeze, OFSI said Sept. 18.
The Bureau of Industry and Security added 47 entities and individuals to its Entity List for “acting contrary” to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The additions include entities in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Designations were for a range of illegal procurement activities, including sending nuclear-related items and other products to Iran. BIS will also correct four existing entries under China.
China released regulations for its unreliable entity list that will target a “very small number of foreign entities” that violate Chinese laws. The regulations detail procedures for adding companies to the list but do not say when China will announce its first set of additions. “Foreign entities that are honest and law abiding do not need to worry,” China’s Commerce Ministry said Sept. 20, according to an unofficial translation.