Australia's new digital trade agreement with Singapore represents the “most ambitious digital trade rules” Australia has ever negotiated, that government said in an Aug. 6 news release. The deal includes provisions on e-commerce and is expected to make it “easier for [Australian] exporters to do business,” Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said. Birmingham said the agreement will help Australian companies “reach more customers and further tap into the Singaporean market.” The deal will also decrease costs for Singapore companies exporting to Australia, Singapore said, adding it hopes to better connect the two countries’ national single windows, implement “e-verification” for imports and exports, and better share and verify electronic trade documents.

The United Nations Security Council sanctioned the leader of a Central African Republic militia group, the UNSC said in an Aug. 5 notice. The designation targets Bi Sidi Souleman (also spelled Soulemane), who leads the group Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, which is involved in warfare and illegal arms trafficking. The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Souleman Aug. 6.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people, one entity and one vessel for using Libya to smuggle fuel and illegal drugs, OFAC said Aug. 6. The designations target Libyan national Faysal al-Wadi, his vessel Maraya, his two associates Musbah Mohamad Wadi and Nourddin Milood Musbah, and the Malta-based company Alwefaq Ltd.

The U.S. needs to pour more resources into research and innovation of emerging technologies to boost commercialization and outpace Chinese technology development, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said. Blackburn advocated for a methodical decoupling from China, saying the U.S. needs to reshore manufacturing of critical technologies to help U.S. industries be more competitive in foreign markets.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue export restrictions on an amended list of personal protective equipment through Dec. 31, the agency said in a notice released Aug. 6. The restrictions, which were scheduled to expire this month, now cover four categories of items, including certain respirators, masks, gloves and surgical gowns -- a decrease from the six categories FEMA has restricted since April. The changes take effect Aug. 10.

Canada released a list of products that could be subject to countermeasures in response to the re-imposition of U.S. tariffs on some Canadian aluminum exports. "Canada intends to impose surtaxes against imports of aluminum and aluminum-containing products from the U.S., representing a proportionate amount of Canadian aluminum products affected by the U.S. tariffs," it said.

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

India lifted its export controls on ventilators about four months after imposing the restrictions (see 2003240045), India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said Aug. 4. Export restrictions no longer apply to “all ventilators,” India said, including “any artificial respiratory apparatus … or other breathing appliance.” The measure was first introduced to maintain India’s domestic supply of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

China announced a ban on poultry from Vidin Province, Bulgaria, due to an outbreak of Newcastle disease in the city, a July 31 notice said, according to an unofficial translation. Chinese customs authorities will seize and destroy all illegally imported poultry products from the region, the notice said.

The Treasury Department released its annual report to Congress for 2019 last month on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., outlining CFIUS statistics, key judgments and an overview of transactions reviewed by the committee. CFIUS said 231 notices were filed last year, roughly the same number of notices filed in 2017 and 2018, which were 237 and 229, respectively. CFIUS took an average of 45 days to complete a review of covered transactions and 85 days to complete an investigation in 2019, the report said. The report also notes a drop in investigations -- CFIUS conducted 113 investigations in 2019 after conducting 158 in 2018 and 172 in 2017.