A Bureau of Industry and Security spokesperson dismissed criticism from national security experts that technology is moving too fast for BIS export controls (see 2101290021) and said the agency is committed to continuing its congressionally mandated emerging technology efforts. “That technology is developing quickly does not negate the imperative of appropriate export controls to prevent access by actors who would use those technologies contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” the spokesperson said in a Jan. 29 email. Although BIS has issued 38 emerging technology controls, the House’s Republican-led China Task Force last year criticized BIS for being too slow to roll out a substantial list of emerging and foundational technologies (see 2010010020). The spokesperson said BIS is still reviewing the roughly 80 comments it received on its pre-rule for foundational technologies (see 2008260045 and 2011130037).
The European Union officially put in place measures to require member states to authorize shipments of COVID-19 vaccines before they can be exported (see 2101270027). The measures require “companies to notify” their member state authorities “about the intention to export vaccines produced in the European Union,” the European Commission said Jan. 29. The authorization requirement will remain in place until March 31. “This measure is targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary,” the EC said.
The European Union wants to work more closely with the U.S. on sanctions and technology issues and is hoping to establish an international trade and technology council to regulate emerging technologies, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said. Speaking during a Feb. 1 event hosted by the German Marshall Fund, Dombrovskis also called for more EU-U.S. unity on a range of other topics, including reform at the World Trade Organization and measures to counter illegal Chinese trade practices. “This is precisely why we need to put our current trade disputes behind us,” Dombrovskis said, referencing the Boeing/Airbus dispute and U.S. Section 232 tariffs on European steel and aluminum (see 2101270049).
The European Union’s new export requirements surrounding COVID-19 vaccines (see 2101270027) will not affect exports to Canada, a top EU official said. The “proposed EU measures will not affect vaccine shipments to Canada,” EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told Canadian Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng during a Jan. 28 conversation, according to a Global Affairs Canada readout. Ng “pressed” Dombrovskis on the “importance of ensuring that critical health and medical supply chains remain open and resilient,” GAC said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security fined a Singapore-based electronics and software distributor more than $3 million and suspended its export privileges for violating the Export Administration Regulations, which included illegal exports to China and Iran, according to a Jan. 29 order. BIS said Avnet Asia Pte., Ltd. committed 53 EAR violations over several years when it sold export-controlled electronic components totaling more than $1 million. The Justice Department also charged Chinese national Cheng Bo, a former Avnet Asia employee, for participating in a conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws.
Japanese lawmakers plan to launch a multi-partisan group to draft sanctions legislation targeting human rights violations, the EU Sanctions blog said in a Jan. 28 post. The group plans to hold its first meeting this month.
Electronic Export Information requirements for Puerto Rico treat the territory like a foreign country, unnecessarily burden U.S. shippers and go against the wishes of the Puerto Rican people and government, said Mike Mullen, executive director of the Express Association of America. Speaking on a Jan. 28 call hosted by a Commerce Department advisory committee, Mullen said the EAA spoke with a member of President Joe Biden's transition team in early January about eliminating the filing requirements.
More foreign investors are opting to submit a filing with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. out of an abundance of caution, even when there is no mandatory filing requirement, George Grammas, a trade lawyer with Squire Patton, said. Grammas said “sophisticated” investors are especially likely to file before the investment is complete, particularly as CFIUS continues a trend of reviewing years-old investments.
Pakistan recently issued a directive to require online payments for customs duties that exceed about $6,200, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Jan. 27. Importers must make the payment through one of Pakistan’s bank‑sanctioned payment systems via e‑payments and “any other electronic payment method” approved by the country’s state bank. HKTDC said the move is aimed at further digitizing customs payments to meet the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization created to combat money laundering.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued orders temporarily denying export privileges for three people involved in illegal exports. Irma Lizette Trevizo was convicted April 30, 2019, of conspiring to smuggle firearms and ammunition from the U.S. to Mexico, BIS said in a Jan. 25 order. Trevizo was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and a $100 fine. BIS denied Trevizo’s export privileges for 10 years from the date of her conviction.