In the Dec. 3-4 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Dec. 4 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Japan’s minister of Economy, Trade and Industry urged World Trade Organization members to find a solution before the dispute settlement body ceases to function Dec. 10, according to an unofficial translation of a Dec. 3 press conference. The minister called the body “one of the pillars … [of] the multilateral free trade system.”
Huawei is urging suppliers to move operations offshore to avoid U.S. sanctions and export controls, which would violate U.S. law, according to a Dec. 3 Reuters report. The Chinese technology giant has been “openly advocating” for companies to escape the jurisdiction of U.S. controls so sales can continue, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Reuters. “Anybody who does move the product out specifically to avoid the sanction ... that’s a violation of U.S. law,” Ross said. “So here you have Huawei encouraging American suppliers to violate the law.”
The State Department sanctioned Alejandro Sinibaldi, Guatemala’s former minister of communications, infrastructure, and housing, for “significant corruption,” according to a Dec. 3 press release. The State Department is also sanctioning family members Maria Jose Saravia Mendoza, Alejandro Sinibaldi Saravia and his two minor children.
The Dec. 3 House passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 will have serious repercussions for U.S.-China trade talks if the bill becomes law, a China Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson threatened on Dec. 4. H.R. 649 and the companion S. 178 that cleared the Senate in September demand tough U.S. sanctions on China over reports of government-run detention centers imprisoning millions of Muslim-minority Chinese citizens in Xinjiang.
Newly recommended export-related initiatives (see 1912020048), including an effort by CBP to reduce minor “parking ticket” violations, will better allow U.S. enforcement agencies to target serious export violators, Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee members said during a Dec. 4 meeting. CBP’s Export Modernization Working Group hopes fewer minor penalties will clear up enforcement officials to do more large-scale work. “It should help the enforcement side to have time to actually get the bad guys,” said Brenda Barnes, a COAC member and part of the EMWG.
Wiley Rein promoted Lori Scheetz, previously of counsel, to partner in the firm's international trade practice, it said in a news release. Scheetz works on “export compliance and national security matters, with a focus on U.S. export controls and economic sanctions,” according to her bio. Derick Holt, previously an associate, was promoted to of counsel, the firm said. Holt works on “antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, export controls, and sanctions compliance program,” according to his bio.
Australia’s Department of Defense’s export controls division will be closed noon on Dec. 20 until Jan. 2, 2020, the agency said in a Dec. 2 notice. Applications will not be processed during that time. Applications received after Dec. 2 may not be completed before the agency closes and will continue to be processed after Jan. 2, the notice said. The agency urges applicants to contact the Defense Export Controls division “should you urgently require a permit” after Dec. 2.
Two Russian nationals, two Italian nationals, a U.S. citizen and three companies were charged in a conspiracy to evade international trade sanctions, including violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act, the Justice Department said in a Dec. 3 press release. The conspiracy involved an attempted $17.3 million purchase of a Vectra 40G power turbine and attempts at wire fraud and money laundering, the Justice Department said.