China announced retaliatory tariffs this month against Canada for its duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles and Chinese steel and aluminum products, saying the Canadian measures “seriously violate” World Trade Organization rules and are “discriminatory.” Beijing will impose a 100% tariff on Canadian rapeseed oil, oil cake and peas, and a 25% tariff on Canadian aquatic products and pork, according to an unofficial translation of a March 8 notice from the Customs Tariff Commission of China’s State Council. The duties take effect March 20.
The United States is interested in negotiating a new free trade agreement with India, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told an Indian audience on March 8.
Canada last week announced new sanctions against people and entities for either helping Iran acquire controlled technology or having ties to human rights violations committed by the Myanmar military regime.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., asked the Bureau of Industry and Security to brief his panel on how it's restricting China’s access to U.S. university supercomputers.
The Bureau of Industry needs better resources and technology, and the semiconductor industry needs better tracking tools, to prevent China from illegally receiving and accessing advanced chip technology, a researcher told a BIS advisory committee this week.
Canada opened a dispute at the World Trade Organization on March 5 to challenge the new U.S.-imposed 25% tariff on all non-energy goods and 10% tariff on energy goods from Canada, claiming that the measure violates the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade "as well as the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement." Canada said that the U.S. measures "appear to be inconsistent with the United States' obligations" under GATT and TFA provisions.
The U.K. issued updated guidance last week on how exporters can use Assimilated General Export Authorizations (GEA), the general export licenses that were "assimilated" into U.K. law after the country’s exit from the EU.
The State Department is seeking public comments on an information collection involving license applications to permanently export, temporarily export or temporarily import classified defense articles. Comments are due by April 9.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, reintroduced a bill March 6 to authorize the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review foreign purchases or leases of American farmland that exceed $5 million or 320 acres. The Foreign Agricultural Restrictions to Maintain Local Agriculture and National Defense (FARMLAND) Act was referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee and the House Agriculture, Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, and Energy and Commerce committees.
Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., reintroduced a bill March 6 that would bar individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from buying agricultural land and businesses near U.S. military bases or other sensitive sites. The Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act would also add USDA to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. for agricultural transactions. The bill, whose co-sponsors include Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was referred to the Senate Banking Committee.