The United Kingdom suspended antidumping duties on hot-rolled flat iron, non-alloy, or other alloy steel goods from Iran or Russia, a July 1 notice said. Certain antidumping duties stemming from a general AD order on certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy from Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine and under a tariff-rate quota on steel goods will now no longer be enforced. The notice contains a list of the affected companies, the majority of which will see their antidumping rate for the subject merchandise drop to zero.
The United Kingdom suspended an antidumping duty hike implemented on corrosion-resistant steel goods from China, a July 1 notice said. The move reverted the effects of two import duties -- a general antidumping duty on the steel goods from China and a tariff rate quota on steel goods. If corrosion-resistant steel goods from China are subject to the additional import duties under the TRQ for the goods category covering metallic-coated sheet, the additional duty is now suspended. The notice contains a list of exporters to which the tariff suspension applies.
The United Kingdom lifted antidumping duties on welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel from Belarus or Russia, a July 1 notice said. Certain antidumping duties originating from an AD quota on certain welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel from Belarus, China and Russia along with a tariff rate quota on steel goods will be suspended under the notice. The announcement includes a list of affected companies from Russia that will see their antidumping rate drop to zero. All affected tube and pipe exporters from Belarus will have their antidumping rate drop from 38.1% to 13.1%.
Ghana on July 1 effectively implemented the interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, the European Commission said in a news release that day. The agreement enacted duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market for Ghanaian-made goods since 2016. Ghana began liberalizing market access July 1 for 80% of its total volume of EU exports. “This is crucial for developing and diversification of our bilateral trade,” the release said. “It also creates better opportunities for EU companies to trade and invest in Ghana and produce goods for export to the wider African market under the preferences available under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
The Swiss Federal Council imposed sanctions on eight individuals and four entities for their roles in the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said in a July 1 news release. The listings follow the third round of Myanmar sanctions imposed by the European Union and subject the parties to an asset freeze and travel ban. The individuals, all military or government officials, are Soe Htut, Tun Tun Naung, Win Shein, Khin Maung Yi, Tin Aung San, Thida Oo, Aung Lin Tun and Zaw Min Tun, a State Secretariat notice said. The entities are Myanma Gems Enterprise, Myanma Timber Enterprise, Forest Products Joint Venture and Myanmar War Veterans Organization.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in a July 1 Financial Sanctions Notice amended the listing of Andrei Valeryevich Kartapolov under the commonwealth's Russia sanctions regime. OFSI removed a known alias from his listing.
The European Union and the United Kingdom agreed to extend by three months a grace period for shipments of particular meat products from Britain to Northern Ireland, Reuters reported June 30. The agreement marks a temporary halt in the trade spat dubbed the “sausage war.” It will also be easier for medicines and guide dogs to cross into Northern Ireland due to temporary concessions made by the EU. Northern Ireland drivers will be allowed to travel to Ireland with existing insurance documents as well. The chilled meat products grace period was set to end on July 1 due to an EU ban on these products entering from third countries, which now include the U.K. following Brexit.
The European Union extended its vaccine export control regime until the end of September, the European Commission announced June 30. The controls apply only to companies with which the EU has negotiated an advance purchase agreement and require these companies to notify their member state authorities of their intention to export COVID-19 vaccines. Due to the controls, the EU has gained greater transparency into the vaccine supply chains and has gleaned that it is a global leader in vaccine exports, the release said.
The United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council conducted a review of opportunities for their trading and investment relationship, the U.K.'s Department for International Trade announced in a June 30 news release. The review focused on goods trade, services trade and investment. The U.K. and the GCC agreed to enhance cooperation to facilitate greater market access in key sectors such as professional and business services, agriculture, food and drink, education, healthcare, financial services and environmental technologies. The Gulf nations have a comparative advantage in natural resource extraction, petrochemicals and aluminum, while the U.K. has an advantage in manufacturing transport equipment, pharmaceuticals and beverages, an executive summary of the review said.
Switzerland's Federal Council adjusted the Swiss customs tariff in line with the latest revision of the internationally harmonized goods classification from the World Customs Organization, the council said in a June 30 news release. The products that required the new classification numbers include “hybrid vehicles, drones, 3D printers, new products in the tobacco industry and edible insects, for example,” the release said. The next revision is scheduled for 2027.