A federal appeals court upheld a conviction for a man who illegally exported electronics to Cuba. Bryan Singer had argued the court lacked evidence to convict him of knowingly shipping “303 Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 Network Modems” without a license, and said the U.S. failed to “prove he knew of the facts that made the NanoStations” subject to export controls. But the 11th Circuit denied Singer’s appeal. “The evidence admitted at trial established Singer's knowledge beyond a reasonable doubt,” a June 26 decision said.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., want Congress to say on the record that belonging to the World Trade Organization has value, even as the U.S. seeks reforms to its system, including in dispute resolution and how developing countries are treated. Their resolution was introduced July 2.
The Australia-Indonesia trade agreement took July 5, eliminating or reducing tariffs on 99% of Australian exports, Australia's trade ministry said that day. The deal is expected to provide a range of new export opportunities for Australian farmers and companies, especially in the agriculture, education, tourism, energy and mining sectors, the ministry said. Exports of meat, dairy and horticulture will specifically benefit, and grain exporters will be able to ship 500,000 tons of wheat and barley to Indonesia tariff-free, it said. “This is the most comprehensive bilateral trade agreement Indonesia has ever signed, and will give our exporters a competitive edge in what is one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” Australia's Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement.
Because the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative was in such a hurry on implementation, some USMCA details needed by traders are either wrong or missing. For instance, there are tariff numbers that are invalid, because negotiators used the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers. On a call with trade professionals July 6, CBP staffers said importers or exporters can email CBP with a tariff number in question, and the agency can provide guidance on how to claim USMCA treatment for those goods.
The United Kingdom on July 6 set its first sanctions under its new human rights sanctions regime, designating 49 people and organizations because of human rights violations. The sanctions, which have been hinted at by officials for months and were expected this summer (see 2007020014 and 2001100046), marked the first time the U.K. has issued its own designations for human rights abuses, with additional sanctions expected in the coming months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said July 6. The U.K. also issued a sanctions guidance for industry and an outline of available licenses, and said European Union sanctions will continue to apply in the U.K. until it leaves the EU on Dec. 31.
The European Commission referred Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands to the European Union Court of Justice for failing to implement the EU’s anti-money laundering regulations, the commission said July 2. The referral includes a “request for financial sanctions,” the commission added. The commission also said the lack of implementation may affect information regarding corporate ownership of certain entities.
Hong Kong is advising importers of U.S.-origin goods to check with their sellers about possible trade interruptions after the Bureau of Industry and Security increased restrictions on exports to the region. Hong Kong’s Trade and Industry Department will work with “the licensees concerned to cancel the relevant unused licences,” the agency said July 2. “Otherwise, traders might risk themselves violating the relevant U.S. laws and regulations.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., joined by one Republican and three Democratic congressmen from the New York House delegation, is asking the U.S. Trade Representative to make sure that Canada keeps its promises on dairy tariff rate quotas and eliminating Class 6 and Class 7 milk price controls.
Testimony by Liz Truss, the United Kingdom's international trade secretary, revealed that no chapters have been closed yet in negotiations with the U.S., and suggests that barriers to U.S. exports of poultry and beef and price controls on pharmaceutical drugs continue to be sensitive areas for the British. Truss was updating Parliament about the second round of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the U.S.
Twelve countries, including China, vowed to continue refraining from imposing export controls and other trade restrictions that would damage global supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic. The July 2 joint statement, issued by China’s Commerce Ministry and signed by Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Uruguay and others, said, “it is in our mutual interest to ensure that trade lines remain open, including via air and sea freight, to facilitate the flow of goods.” The countries said they recognize “the importance of refraining from the imposition of export controls or tariffs and non-tariff barriers,” and that existing restrictions on medical supplies should be removed.