The European Commission recently announced it will allow more time for certain countries to comply with its registered export system, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a July 20 KPMG post said. Haiti, Madagascar, Senegal and Vietnam have faced “serious difficulties” meeting the June 30 deadline for the application of the system, the commission said. Those countries were granted an extension through Dec. 31. The system, used by European Union exporters in some free trade agreements, allows traders to self-certify the origin of goods.

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on July 23 extended a measure to “allow continued telework operations” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure, first announced in April (see 2004240017), suspended an International Traffic in Arms Regulations requirement to allow employees involved in ITAR-related activities to work remotely. The measure, which was to expire July 31, will be extended to Dec. 31, the agency said.

The Senate on July 23 passed the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes an amendment that would increase oversight of exports of gun silencers. The amendment, proposed July 20 by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., would require Congress to review and certify all proposed export licenses for silencers, mufflers and firearms sound suppressors before the sale can be completed under the license. The requirement would apply to exports to any “foreign nongovernmental person, group, or organization … regardless of the dollar value.” The amendment would also require the secretary of state to determine that the export does not pose a risk of being retransferred to terrorist groups or criminal organizations. The State Department recently relaxed its policy for exports of gun suppressors to handle those shipments similarly to other U.S. Munitions List controlled technologies (see 2007130014).

The White House extended for one year beyond July 24 a national emergency that authorizes sanctions against people and entities associated with transnational criminal organizations, a July 22 news release said.

The United Kingdom on July 22 issued two orders to implement its global human rights sanctions regime for its overseas territories and the Isle of Man. The orders detail U.K. sanctions authorities and extend the regime to cover 12 overseas territories, including the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Anguilla. The U.K. announced the regime earlier this month with a set of sanctions against 49 people and entities for human rights abuses, marking the first time the U.K. has issued its own designations for human rights violations (see 2007060025).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two associates of the Nicolas Maduro family for supporting corruption, the agency said July 23. OFAC designated brothers Santiago Jose Moron Hernandez and Ricardo Jose Moron Hernandez, who are “trusted partners” of Maduro and his son and who help “distribute assets” for the Maduro family around the world. Both brothers also use companies to conduct transactions on behalf of the Maduro family, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 22 revised nine FAQs to reflect changes made to two Ukraine-related general licenses involving Russian automotive conglomerate GAZ Group issued earlier this month (see 2007160044). The FAQs clarify the authorizations in the licenses and update their language to reflect new expiration dates.

U.S. rail and steel industry groups asked the Treasury Department to sanction the China Railroad Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), saying the state-owned company is undermining the U.S. rail sector. CRRC plans to dominate the global rail market and has used state-backed financing, below-market pricing and “other anti-competitive tactics” that threaten the U.S. rail industry, the groups said in a July 22 letter. CRRC was also mentioned in a June Defense Department list of Chinese companies with ties to the country’s military (see 2006250024).

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls saw a “significant uptick” in license requests from foreign companies after the agency issued guidance on U.S. people exporting defense services abroad, DDTC Director of Licensing Catherine Hamilton said. The agency also saw an increase in voluntary disclosures as foreign companies realized they may have violated regulations, Hamilton said.

Denmark-based A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world’s “top container shipping firm,” will stop shipping solid waste to China and Hong Kong, effective in September, Reuters reported July 22. The move comes as China has imposed a series of measures to reduce solid waste imports, with hopes to eventually reach zero (see 2006030010 and 2001210024). Maersk said its decision “aims to fully comply with government requirements of the People’s Republic of China on zero solid waste import as of 2021,” according to Reuters. Maersk did not comment.