The European Union issued the following trade-related releases on December 13-14, 2011 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
The International Trade Administration again announced that it is organizing an Automotive Parts and Components Business Development Mission to Russia on April 23-28, 2012. Led by a senior Commerce official, this mission is designed to provide an opportunity to explore Russia’s rapidly expanding car and truck assembly market to a diverse cross section of companies selling goods and services into the automotive sector, including but not limited to: components for vehicle manufacture, replacement parts, aftermarket products, repair equipment, capital equipment used for vehicle manufacture, testing equipment, and software and engineering services. According to ITA sources, recruitment of the 15-20 companies for the mission has begun and will now close on January 20, 2012 instead of January 6, 2012, as originally announced.
U.S. Trade Representative Kirk arrived in Geneva on December 15, 2011 to participate in the 8th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. At the ministerial event, which lasts through December 17, Kirk and his fellow ministers from the 153 WTO Members are discussing the state of play in the Doha Round of world trade negotiations; considering the terms of accession to the WTO for countries including Russia, Samoa, and Montenegro; concluding a revision of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), etc. Ambassador Kirk will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with U.S. partners and WTO Member groups.
During a December 13, 2011 speech before the Washington International Trade Association, Representative Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, discussed the future congressional trade agenda, including plans to move a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, Customs reauthorization bill, Trade Promotion Authority, extension of AGOA third country fabric provision, etc. Rep. Brady also discussed future plans for completing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, finalizing Russia’s WTO membership, and U.S.-China trade relations.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the December 9, 2011 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for November 21-23, 2011 in case they were missed last week. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive (ONCIX) has published its 2009-2011 biennial report to Congress appraising the threat to the U.S. from foreign economic collection and industrial espionage. The report finds that the pace of espionage activities against major U.S. corporations and government agencies is accelerating, with much of this activity appearing to originate in China and Russia.
The International Trade Administration has published its quarterly list of (i) recently completed antidumping and countervailing duty scope rulings and anticircumvention determinations; (ii) terminated scope and anticircumvention inquiries; and (iii) pending scope inquiries and anticircumvention rulings.
The State Department reports that the U.S. and Russia exchanged diplomatic notes on November 19, 2011 to allow tourists and business travelers from both the U.S. and Russia to receive visas with longer validity periods of 36 months, valid for multiple entries. The agreement also streamlines the visa issuance process by reducing the documentation required. The Russian Duma must ratify the agreement and then a second set of notes must be exchanged, before it can go into effect 30 days later.
According to Russia Today, the Customs Union Commission which regulates cooperation between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus will be replaced by the Eurasian Economic Commission on July 1, 2012. The EAEC will receive more powers and duties in customs and tariff regulation, customs administration, establishment of trade regimes with third countries, monetary policy regulations, macroeconomic issues, energy policy and competition policy, regulation of state monopolies, industrial and agricultural financial aid issues, procurement, transportation, migration, financial markets.