Indonesia introduced a new regulation to improve the “effectiveness” of customs supervision of imports, the country’s trade ministry said in a July 7 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The measure, which takes effect Aug. 25, revokes previous self-declaration requirements and introduces new data reporting requirements, the notice said, including information on the type of good being imported and its quantity or volume. The measure will help customs officials “tighten supervision of imported goods,” an Indonesian customs official said, according to the notice. Importers who violate the requirements will be subject to sanctions, the notice said.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation renewed five designations under its terrorism sanctions, a July 7 notice said. OFSI renewed sanctions for Qasem Soleimani, Hamed Abdollahi, Manssor Arbabsiar, Ali Gholam Shakuri and Abdul Reza Shahlai. The renewals took effect July 6.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls July 7 published documents related to the May 14 Defense Trade Advisory Group plenary meeting. The documents include meeting minutes, presentations, compliance guidelines for defense exports and information about foreign licensing reviews.
The upcoming U.S. presidential election and the increasing government focus on China will likely “exacerbate risk” for companies with supply chains in China’s Xinjiang region, law firm Covington said. The region has come under scrutiny for human rights abuses and has been a recent focal point of U.S. sanctions.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined Amazon more than $130,000 for violating several U.S. sanctions programs and failing to follow reporting requirements for hundreds of transactions. Amazon processed online orders sent to a range of sanctioned countries in the Middle East and Asia and did not follow the agency’s reporting requirements for more than 300 transactions conducted under a Crimea general license, OFAC said in a July 8 notice. OFAC said the violations were caused by “deficiencies” in Amazon's sanctions screening program.
The Commerce Department on July 8 issued a guidance on the transfer of gun export controls from the State Department (see 2001170030). The 62-page guidance, which includes more than 100 frequently asked questions, outlines Commerce’s approach to the controls, including licensing exceptions, arms reporting, export clearance requirements, recordkeeping and enforcement. The guidance also defines several “key terms” for exports that it now controls, such as the difference between additive manufacturing and 3D printing.
Rep. Rick Larsen, one of the chairpersons of the New Democrats' trade task force, told the Washington International Trade Association that he thinks the U.S. has not gotten any benefit out of the Trump administration's trade war. When asked by International Trade Today if a Joe Biden administration would roll back the Section 301 tariffs, even if China does not give concessions on industrial subsidies or state-owned enterprises, Larsen said, “I think the next administration needs to reset where we are, how we’re going to approach this.”
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a July 6 guidance detailing how sanctioned people and entities can request changes or repeals of their designations. OFSI also released a “Sanctions Challenge Form” for “designated persons” to request a review of their designation.
The United Kingdom will begin processing export license applications for military exports to Saudi Arabia about one year after halting those licenses (see 1907180047), a July 7 notice said. The U.K., which had restricted licenses for exports of defense or military goods to Saudi Arabia that could be used for the conflict in Yemen, will now begin clearing that backlog of license applications and issuing decisions. The country’s Export Control Joint Unit said each application will be “carefully assessed” and could “take some months to clear this backlog.” It also said industry would expect delays in processing new applications until the backlog is cleared.
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