The U.S. and its allies should come to an international agreement on reviewing incoming and outgoing Chinese investment to make sure those deals are not enabling human rights abuses or funding Chinese military and technological advances, said H.R. McMaster, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser. The Joe Biden administration will have a chance to secure such an agreement if it pursues more multilateral cooperation with allies, McMaster said.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Nov. 20 completed a review for a final Bureau of Industry and Security rule that will revise country groups for Ukraine, Mexico and Cyprus under the Export Administration Regulations. OIRA received the rule June 25.
Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice for secretary of state, has said that the Section 301 tariffs on China and Section 232 tariffs on Europe “harm our own people,” according to coverage of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce talk he gave in September. “We would use tariffs when they’re needed, but backed by a strategy and a plan,” he added. Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, said, “The EU is the largest market in the world. We need to improve our economic relations, and we need to bring to an end an artificial trade war that the Trump administration has started,” Reuters reported from the Chamber talk.
Russia announced sanctions on 25 United Kingdom officials in retaliation for U.K. sanctions against Russia earlier this year (see 2007060025). “We once again call on the British leadership to abandon an unfounded confrontational line with regard to our country,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nov. 21, according to an unofficial translation. “Any unfriendly steps will not be left without an inevitable proportionate response.”
France, Germany and the United Kingdom said they remain committed to the Iran nuclear deal but said they are concerned by Iran’s “numerous, serious violations” of its nuclear commitments. In a Nov. 18 statement, the three countries said they are “extremely concerned by Iran’s actions, which are hollowing out the core nonproliferation benefits of the deal.” But they said they still plan to honor the deal and have taken “additional efforts to allow Iran to pursue legitimate trade,” including through the use of INSTEX (see 2002280029).
The European Council on Nov. 13 published the proposed regulations for its new export control regime covering dual-use technologies (see 2011100021). The regulations include procedures for information sharing between member states on export controls, licensing procedures, general definitions, enforcement methods and more.
The European Union is preparing another round of Belarus sanctions and considering more severe trade restrictions in response to the country’s unfair elections earlier this year, said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief. Borrell said “many” member states have asked for more sanctions, adding that the EU may designate companies in addition to government officials (see 2010050010).
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Nov. 19 concluded a review of a State Department rule that would amend International Traffic in Arms Regulations requirements for certain countries. The final rule would modify the ITAR for Tunisia, Eritrea, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, as well as “other changes.” OIRA received the rule Oct. 28 (see 2010300007). The agency mentioned the rule in past regulatory agendas (see 2007200005 and 1911250035).
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU and the U.S. should work together to set rules on carbon pricing, 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence, intellectual property rights and forced technology transfer so that others don't make the rules, and they have to live with them. At the Council on Foreign Relations webinar Nov. 20, von der Leyen said managing 5G isn't just about security of hardware or software, “it is also about our values and our democracies.” She said the Trans-Atlantic Partnership should address “the illiberal use of these technologies by China and others.”
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected an entry under its Mali sanctions regime, it said in a Nov. 19 notice. The change corrects and updates identifying information for the entry for Houka Houka Ag Alhousseini.