The United States notified the World Trade Organization that it has fully complied with the WTO's findings in the Boeing subsidies dispute, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said May 6. The European Union and U.S. have been battling for 15 years over whose subsidies to their aircraft manufacturers distort trade. The WTO has said that both sides were in the wrong, and the U.S. currently has Section 301 tariffs on about $7.5 billion worth of European aircraft, food, apparel, linens, tools, wine and spirits in a WTO-sanctioned retaliation for past Airbus subsidies.
The United Nations Security Council amended a sanctions entry for Martin Koumtamadji, the leader of an anti-government militia in the Central African Republic, according to a May 5 notice. The update provides more identifying information. Koumtamadji was sanctioned by the UNSC and the United Kingdom in April (see 2004220011).
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its Nicaragua sanctions to match the recent designations by the European Union of six Nicaraguan officials (see 2005050016), according to a May 5 notice. All six officials are now subject to an asset freeze.
The U.S. should be mindful of not harming the U.S. technology industry as it seeks to impose export restrictions on semiconductor shipments to China, said James Andrew Lewis, director of the technology policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Those restrictions could cut the U.S. off from consumers, leading foreign companies to design U.S. components out of their products and build alternate supply sources, Lewis said in a May 5 CSIS post.
The Treasury Department fined a Kansas animal nutrition company more than $250,000 for illegally exporting agricultural goods to Cuba, which violated U.S. sanctions, according to a May 6 notice. The company, BIOMIN America, completed 30 illegal sales to Cuba between 2012 and 2017 and did not have a sanctions compliance program, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said. If BIOMIN had consulted with OFAC before the sales took place, the company may have received a license, the agency said.
The United Nations issued a sanctions exemption to allow a South Korean non-governmental organization to ship goods into North Korea, according to an April 30 UN letter. The organization, Greentree International, will import a range of construction materials into North Korea for an “agricultural rehabilitation project” to assist people with disabilities. The items will be shipped together in a “consolidated manner” to increase “efficiency of shipping and custom clearance.”
The European Council sanctioned six people responsible for human rights violations in Nicaragua, according to a May 4 press release. The EU sanctioned Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal, Sonia Castro Gonzalez, Francisco Javier Diaz Madriz, Nestor Moncada Lau, Luis Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina. All six people are officials working for Nicaragua’s National Police or the government.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 27 - May 1 in case you missed them.
The Commerce Department’s new export restrictions on military end-users may significantly raise due diligence requirements for industry, leading to licensing delays and a burdensome vetting process for technology companies, law firms said. If Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security does not clarify the scope of the rule to limit its impact, the rules are likely to damage the semiconductor, telecommunications and aircraft sectors, the law firms said. “This could have a detrimental impact on a broad swath of U.S. industry,” Baker McKenzie said in an April 30 blog post. “A universe of transactions triggering license requirements could significantly increase.”
The European Union Council urged the United Nations to renew its arms embargo against South Sudan, saying in an April 30 press release the country is still marred by “widespread violations of human rights.” The EU also said it is prepared to impose more sanctions against South Sudan “if such violations continue or the peace process is undermined.”