The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service seeks comment by Nov. 2 on the reinstatement of its collections of information related to export health certificates for animal products, it said in a notice released Sept. 2. APHIS issues the certificates to satisfy import requirements in other countries for animal products from the U.S., and the certifications must carry the U.S. Department of Agriculture seal and be endorsed by an APHIS representative. APHIS estimates the process takes exporters about 20 minutes. After considering comments, it will submit the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget for approval.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and ICC’s Head of Jurisdiction, Complementary, and Cooperation Division Phakiso Mochochoko to the Specially Designated Nationals List, according to a Sept. 2 notice. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned the new sanctions while talking to reporters the same day. “In June, the Trump administration authorized the imposition of economic sanctions against foreign persons directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate U.S. or allied personnel, and those who materially assisted in those -- in that effort,” he said. “Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security scheduled a meeting of the Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee for Sept. 17 at 10 a.m., it said in a notice. The Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee will meet at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15, BIS said in another notice. Both meetings are via teleconference.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking public input “on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures as defined in the Export Administration Regulations for the export of agricultural commodities to Cuba,” it said in a notice released Sept. 2. The comments will be used as part of the BIS biennial report to Congress, it said. Comments are due Oct. 5.
The State Department will implement a temporary waiver “of the policy of denial on the export, reexport, retransfer, and temporary import of non-lethal defense articles and defense services destined for or originating in the Republic of Cyprus,” the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said in a Sept. 2 notice. The DDTC will temporarily amend the International Traffic in Arms regulations on Oct. 1 to allow for the waiver, which is a result of a State Department determination under the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, it said. The U.S. policy won't change for “lethal defense articles and defense services destined for or originating” in Cyprus, it said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control will adjust for inflation some civil monetary penalties, it said in an interim final rule released Sept. 2. The changes apply to “penalties for failure to comply with certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements, which are contained in OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines in OFAC’s Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations,” it said. Increases are effective Oct. 5.
The Trump administration “is committed to bold, decisive action” against China that protects U.S. national and economic security interests, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said during a virtual Bureau of Industry and Security conference on Sept. 2. He cited as evidence BIS' s additional export restrictions on Huawei (see 2008170029) and President Donald Trump’s Aug. 6 executive order banning U.S. transactions with the parent companies of TikTok and WeChat. “We each must remain alert to China’s malign behavior and that of other foreign entities that seek our sensitive technologies to damage our economic and national security,” Ross said. “China is a capable, effective and adaptable adversary with unconstrained resources, who regularly uses our American freedom and rules-based norms to advance its goal of dominating global markets.”
The Canada government issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 1st (some may also be given separate headlines):
Illegal trade in plastic trash has sharply risen over the past two years, mostly driven by criminal organizations that use legitimate pollution management businesses as covers for their operations, Interpol said in an Aug. 27 report. Criminal groups are shipping waste primarily through “multiple transit countries” in Southeast Asia to hide the shipments' origin, Interpol said. The report details “emerging trafficking routes” for illegal trash trade and recommends that governments increase enforcement.
The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters: