India blocked a first request from the U.S. for the World Trade Organization to form a panel to judge whether the hike in tariffs that India instituted because of the U.S. tariffs on Indian steel and aluminum breaks the rules. The panel is automatically convened after a second request. India delayed retaliating for the Section 232 tariffs for many months, but put them in place after the U.S. removed India from the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there will be “customs checks” between Ireland and Northern Ireland after the U.K. leaves the European Union, but that won’t be in the form of “infrastructure checks or controls at the border,” according to a BBC report. It wouldn’t even include customs posts set five or 10 miles back, he said. Johnson has said he will move forward with Brexit with or without a deal on Oct. 31, despite the passage of legislation in parliament that requires him to seek an extension if a transition deal hasn’t been approved by then (see 1909090056). U.K. Brexit minister James Duddridge says the government will be putting out more detail in the coming days on its plans for the Irish border, the BBC said in its report. “Leaked proposals” say the customs controls would be conducted away from the border, mostly where goods originate or at their final destination, the BBC said.

In the Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The Supply-Managed Trade Controls Division of Global Affairs Canada updated its public documents page related to the tariff rate quota administration for supply-managed products, GAC said in an Oct.1 message to industry. "The Notices to Importers have been reformulated in plain language," the agency said. "There is no change to existing ministerial policies. In order to eliminate information duplicated across many of the Notices to Importers, general information has been centralized in one document. Finally, one document that sets out key dates and access quantities for the various TRQs has been created to facilitate the updating and consultation of this information."

Japan’s External Trade Organization issued an “Overseas Successful Collection of Case Studies” detailing Japanese companies that are increasing exports and business in foreign countries, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in an Oct. 1 press release, according to an unofficial translation. The case studies are based on interviews with 100 Japanese companies “that worked on overseas expansion,” the press release said. The case studies are available for download.

The trade dispute between the European Union and Indonesia could allow U.S. dairy exporters to capture more market access in Indonesia, the International Dairy Foods Association said in an Oct. 1 press release. The dispute, which includes EU import tariffs on Indonesian biodiesel and is expected to include Indonesian retaliatory tariffs on EU dairy products, comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture leads a dairy industry delegation to Jakarta, the IDFA said. The delegation is aiming to “strengthen bonds” with Indonesian dairy importers, the press release said, and “could be an opportunity for U.S. dairy exporters to grow market share.”

The Department of Commerce banned export privileges for a man who was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act in 2018, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. Commerce said the man, Eldar Rezvanov, illegally exported items on the U.S. Munitions List to Russia, including seven fully assembled firearms, 10 firearm stocks, 130 fully assembled lower receivers, 133 firearm frames, 158 firearm barrels, 266 firearm slides, 435 functional firearm parts and 966 magazines. Rezvanov was sentenced to 46 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $100 fine, and was placed on the State Department’s Debarred List. Commerce revoked Rezvanov’s export privileges for 10 years from his July 24, 2018, conviction.

The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Rasheed Al Jijakli, who was convicted in 2018 of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after trying to illegally export tactical gear to the U.S. from Syria, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. The gear included U.S. “laser boresighters and day- and night-vision rifle scopes,” Commerce said. Jijakli was sentenced to 46 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine, the notice said. Commerce revoked Jijakli’s export privileges for 10 years dating from his Dec. 20, 2018, conviction.

The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Benjamin James Cance, who was convicted in 2016 of violating the Arms Export Control Act, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. Cance illegally exported gun components listed on the U.S. Munitions List, Commerce said, and was sentenced to four years in prison, two years of supervised release and a $3,000 fine. Cance was also placed on the State Department’s Debarred List, the notice said. Commerce revoked Cance’s export privileges for 10 years from his Jan. 15, 2016, conviction.

The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Barbara Jo Luque, who was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act in 2018 after illegally attempting to export items controlled on the U.S. Munitions List to Mexico, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. The items included 5,000 rounds of “FMJ Russian 7.62x39 mm ammunition” and 125 Ak-47 KCI 30-round magazines, the notice said. Luque was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $100 fine, the notice said. Commerce revoked Luque’s export privileges for seven years dating from her April 25, 2018, conviction.