The United Kingdom July 9 updated its guidance on risks associated with doing business in Kazakhstan. The update made “[m]ajor changes” to the guidance’s political, economic and business, and human rights sections, the U.K. said, and includes several “COVID-19 pandemic related amendments.”
The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade issued a July 10 guidance on export licenses for a range of U.K. goods after the U.K. officially leaves the European Union on Jan. 1, 2021. The guidance contains links to licenses and further information for exporting animals, agricultural products, chemicals, waste, diamonds and controlled goods. The guidance also contains a section detailing how the U.K.’s new sanctions regime may affect exports.
India amended its import policy for certain “cut flowers” to restrict the location of incoming shipments, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a July 9 notice. India will accept imports of certain cut flowers including roses, carnations, orchids, chrysanthemums and lilies at its Chennai port only, the notice said.
Chinese importers of certain bulk sugar shipments will be subject to increased reporting requirements, China’s Ministry of Commerce said July 6, according to an unofficial translation of a notice. The measure, which took effect July 1, requires importers to file certain information about the shipments with Chinese authorities, which are studying the state of China’s sugar trade, the ministry notice said. China said the measure will help it better monitor and improve the competitiveness of its sugar industry and avoid “blind imports.”
The State Department approved potential military sales to four countries, ranging from $33 million to $23 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said July 9. Under the proposed sales, Belgium would get 29 “All Up Round MK 54 LWT Mod 0” and related equipment, worth about $33.3 million, DSCA said. Raytheon is the prime contractor. Another sale includes a $130 million purchase by Germany for 64 “MK 54 All Up Round Lightweight torpedoes” and 10 conversion kits, the DSCA said. The principal contractor is also Raytheon. The potential $23.11 billion sale to Japan includes 105 “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft” and related equipment, the agency said. The prime contractors are Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Pratt & Whitney. The fourth potential sale includes the recertification of “Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States for $620 million, DSCA said. Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor.
In testimony in Canada's House of Commons, former government chief negotiator Steve Verheul told politicians that there is no surge in Canadian aluminum exports to the U.S., so a return to 10% tariffs on Canadian exports is not warranted. He said the product mix shifted, but the total exports are not up.
China will take “reciprocal measures” in response to the U.S. imposition of sanctions against Chinese officials and a security agency involved in human rights violations in the Xinjiang region (see 2007090024). The U.S. sanctions are a “serious interference” in Chinese internal affairs, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a July 10 press conference, adding that the measures will cause “grave harm” to U.S.-China relations. China will impose similar measures against U.S agencies and people “with egregious practices on Xinjiang-related issues,” the spokesperson said. “The Chinese side will firmly fight back if the U.S. obstinately pursues such agenda.”
Companies affected by the Bureau of Industry and Security's recent rule on military-related exports (see 2004270027) were frustrated by the lack of a comment period before the rule was finalized and BIS’s decision not to postpone the effective date, industry officials said in interviews. Some officials said they were disappointed the new requirements were not first issued as a proposed rule, adding that smaller businesses with fewer compliance department employees have struggled to adjust.
The Canada government issued the following trade-related notices as of July 10 (some may also be given separate headlines):
The Alliance for Trade Enforcement is asking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to bring up intellectual property and agriculture issues with Mexico and Canada in the USMCA. The alliance includes trade groups in pharmaceutical, biotech and creative industries and the National Association of Manufacturers, in addition to broad trade groups such as the National Foreign Trade Council and the U.S. Council for International Business.