The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is closely monitoring Chinese investors who are trying to take advantage of struggling U.S. companies, trade lawyers said. CFIUS is also focusing on the semiconductor sector, where Chinese entities are hoping to evade recent U.S. rules that impose more strict license restrictions on sales of semiconductors and other technology to China and Huawei (see 2005150058), the lawyers said.
Turkey plans to ban production and imports of 16 active substances found in plant protection products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a June 19 report. The import ban, which will take effect for each of the substances over a “transitional period” from June 30 through Dec. 31, will impact difenacoum, fenamidone, triadimenol, chlorothalonil and other substances because of their harmful effects on humans and the environment, the report said. The move is aimed at harmonizing Turkish regulations with European Union rules.
The United Kingdom, France and Germany suggested they would support a continued arms embargo against Iran but opposed U.S. threats of snapback sanctions. The scheduled expiration of the embargo would have “major implications for regional security and stability,” the countries said in a June 19 statement, adding that they plan to discuss the matter with Russia or China. But the three nations rejected U.S. threats to invoke snapback sanctions under the Iran nuclear deal if the embargo is not extended (see 2006090047). “Any unilateral attempt to trigger [United Nations] sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the UN [Security Council],” they said.
CBP extended its travel restrictions on the northern and southern borders through July 21. The travel restrictions were to expire June 22 (see 2005210015). The travel bans do not apply to cargo, and exempt crossing the border from Canada or Mexico to work in the U.S.
Australia’s Department of Defense updated its application form for the export of controlled goods and technology, a June 18 notice said. Effective June 22, Australia accepts only the new version of the form.
The European Commission and Japan signed an agreement to help boost aviation trade, the EC said June 22. The EC said the deal will expand market access for exports of EU aeronautical products to Japan and “significantly reduce” the time it takes for exporters to receive approval for those exports. It will also remove “unnecessary duplications of evaluation and testing activities” for aircraft products, it said.
The Food and Drug Administration on June 22 launched a new online system for U.S. exporters of animal food, drugs and devices to track and receive export certificates. The Center for Veterinary Medicine’s new Export Certification Application and Tracking System (eCATS) “will help facilitate exports by assisting industry in fulfilling importing country requirements for certification by CVM of CVM-regulated animal products,” FDA said. It also “provides a tool for foreign governments to verify the authenticity of export certificates provided to them by industry,” FDA said.
The United Kingdom on June 17 posted cyber sanctions regulations to take effect after Brexit. The regulations outline U.K. powers to designate people and entities, criteria for sanctions and various definitions to aid in sanctions implementation. The regulations also detail information on exceptions and licenses for the sanctions, reporting obligations and penalties for violations.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended 10 entries on its Iran sanctions list, a June 22 notice said. The entries include updated identifying information and are still subject to asset freezes. They include eight individuals and two entities.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a technical notice June 22 informing industry of the agency’s upcoming annual renewal of the public certificate that secures its website. That renewal may impact OFAC sanctions list downloads “if your application pins or otherwise trusts the serial number of the existing certificate as part your application functionality.” OFAC said users “may need to update your configuration to trust the renewed certificate.” The certificate will be replaced at 9 p.m. on June 25 and will take about three to six hours for worldwide distribution, OFAC said. The notice contains a link to download the renewed public certificate. OFAC is advising users to make sure their applications trust the new certificate by the replacement date “to prevent loss in functionality.”