The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control updated more than 100 Iran-related sanctions entries on its Specially Designated Nationals List, according to a June 8 notice. OFAC did not immediately provide more information about the changes.

A foreign investment review bill being considered by the United Kingdom will significantly expand the number of transactions subject to reviews and create greater due diligence requirements for U.K. companies, trade lawyers said. As more countries aim to increase their foreign investment screening, particularly the U.S. (see 2005200032), the U.K. is hoping to better protect its industry from trade theft and national security threats, the lawyers said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of June 8 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​​

Ukraine passed a law to reestablish export value-added tax refunds for shipments of soybeans and rapeseed for “all exporters,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released June 1. Previously, only agricultural producers directly handling oilseed exports were eligible for the 20% VAT refund, which put traders and small agricultural producers in a “disadvantaged position,” the USDA said.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have made “no substantial progress since the beginning” of negotiations over a permanent arrangement following the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU at the end of January this year, said EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier in a June 5 statement. The two sides “cannot continue like this forever,” Barnier said, “especially given the United Kingdom's continued refusal to extend the transition period.”

Vietnam plans to reduce a range of tariff rates on agricultural goods, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released June 1. The measures, which take effect July 10, will reduce tariffs on dairy products, almonds, apples, grapes, wheat, walnuts, frozen potatoes, raisins, chilled pork and ethanol, the report said. The measures also include a “temporary reduction” in tariffs for frozen pork through Dec. 31. The reduced rates will apply to imports for all trading partners with which Vietnam “has no preferential arrangements in place.”

Thailand plans to ban residues of paraquat herbicides and chlorpyrifos pesticides in food products, which will “disrupt” imports of agricultural goods from a variety of trading partners, including the U.S., according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released June 1. Thailand's agencies are likely to adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy for residues of the two substances in food products, which could result in about $1 billion in U.S. agricultural export losses per fiscal year, the USDA said. Thailand notified the World Trade Organization of the change, and countries have until July 18 to comment, the report said.

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus Japan, China and South Korea, issued a joint statement committing to open trade during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an unofficial translation of a June 4 Japanese government notice. The countries agreed not to take “unnecessary measures that may affect the smooth flow of medical products” and committed to imposing only “targeted, purposeful, transparent and temporary” trade restrictions. The countries also said they are still working toward signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement this year and plan to “resolve India’s outstanding issues” with the agreement (see 2005130018 and 1911040016).

China said it will continue to impose antidumping measures on imported acetone from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, according to an unofficial translation of a June 5 notice. Introduced in 2008, the measures will be imposed for another five years, China said.