The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution calling for the European Union Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime to include corruption as a punishable offense. Unlike the sanctions regime to the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act, the EU's current regime lacks corruption penalties, a June 16 news release said. Parliament members “should also be able to propose cases of serious human rights violations, in order to increase the legitimacy of the sanctions regime,” the release said. “In addition, Members insist on an inclusive sanctions process to facilitate input from civil society.”
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation held two webinars on complying with the country's financial sanctions regulations. The webinars, on how to complete a license application and on humanitarian licensing, were published on the agency's website in a June 17 guidance. Both events will be available for viewing until Aug. 16. OFSI will hold a separate webinar on reporting requirements for licenses June 24.
The European Commission implemented a provisional antidumping duty on aluminum converter foil imports from China, in a June 18 implementing regulation. In particular, duties will be levied against Chinese imports of aluminum converter foil of a thickness of less than 0.021 mm, not backed, not further worked than rolled, in rolls of a weight exceeding 10 kg, under CN code ex 7607 11 19. A number of exclusions apply, including to varietals of aluminum household foil. Tariff rates range from 16% to 29.1%, with all other companies than the respondents in the underlying inquiry receiving the 29.1% rate.
Customs authorities in the European Union will now be tasked with registering imports of certain fasteners of iron or steel, other than of stainless steel, from China, the European Commission said in a June 17 regulation. For instance, wood screws, self-tapping screws, other screw and bolts with heads and washers will be registered upon import. An antidumping investigation into the fasteners from China began Dec. 21. Should the commission determine dumping occurred, duties could be levied on the registered imports. The antidumping investigation petition alleges a dumping margin of 126% to 270% for the fasteners.
The United Kingdom released an agreement in principle for its new U.K.-Australia free trade agreement. Its four sections cover goods, services, mobility and state-owned enterprises and designated monopolies, a June 17 policy paper said. Both parties agreed to commit to provisions that promote fair competition between commercial SOEs and private enterprise, ensure SOEs can continue to operate as they do now, and allow both sides to share information about their SOEs and cooperate at the multilateral level. On the goods front, talks are ongoing to eliminate technical barriers to trade in specific goods such as British cars and Scotch whisky and Australian wine and organics (see 2106150023).
The European Union will implement further sanctions on Belarus in response to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and subsequent arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, Reuters said in a June 16 report. The new wave of sanctions will include seven individuals linked to the Belarus aviation industry, according to a European diplomat. A fourth package of sanctions related to Belarus' 2020 election was already being prepared when the forced landing took place.
German companies must now take preventive measures to combat human rights violations in their supply chains, under law passed June 11. The regulation mandates compliance and reporting mechanisms on due diligence activities and sets a Jan. 1, 2023, deadline to come into full compliance for companies with more than 3,000 employees and a Jan. 1, 2024, deadline for companies with more than 1,000 employees. Companies with more than 400 million Euros in annual turnover can be fined up to 2%.
The United Kingdom negotiated market access in Japan for its poultry exports, the U.K.'s Department for International Trade announced in a June 16 news release. The agreement represents an estimated 13 million pound opportunity for the British poultry industry in both fresh and cooked poultry products. The negotiations over animal health requirements were conducted over the past four years, concluding in April, the release said. The requirements build off the U.K.-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement now in force. That trade deal “has helped to secure new wins for our brilliant food and drinks industry and boost trade between our two nations, which was worth over 24 billion [pounds] in 2020 alone,” U.K. International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said.
The European Parliament published its new tools to address trade risks in dual-use items in the June 11 Official Journal of the European Union. The regulation addresses trade risks for emerging technologies and goods that could be involved in cybersurveillance. The 460-plus-page regulation, approved May 20, includes stricter controls for cybersurveillance technology that may be used for human rights abuses, new general export licenses to authorize shipments of cryptographic items and certain “intra-group technology transfers,” and mechanisms for greater coordination between members and with trading partners (see 2105100013).
The United Kingdom and Australia reached a new free trade deal, the U.K.'s Department for International Trade announced in a June 15 news release. The pact promises that “iconic” goods such as British cars, Scotch whisky, biscuits and ceramics can be imported tariff-free into Australia, caps tariff-free agriculture imports for 15 years via “tariff rate quotas and other safeguards,” and allows British citizens under the age of 35 to be able to travel and work in Australia more openly, the release said.