The European Union issued the following trade-related releases on November 10 - 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:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Hatch (R-UT) commented following the decision by the Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to approve the terms of Russia’s accession. This decision cleared the last hurdle before WTO ministers can formally invite Russia into the WTO, which is expected to happen in December 2011. The Finance Committee leaders state that they will be reviewing the final agreement and Russia's implementation to ensure the result is a high-standard agreement that will provide a job creating economic boost to the U.S.
Various documents and joint statements have been issued as a result of the annual meeting of the 21 Ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which wrapped up on November 13, 2011. During the meeting, the Ministers agreed to adopt market-driven innovation policies, reduce tariffs and eliminate other barriers to trade in environmental goods and services, and improve regulatory environments to reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses.
The World Trade Organization reports that after 18 years of negotiation, Russia’s accession to the WTO cleared a major hurdle on November 10, 2011 when the WTO Working Party on its accession approved the package spelling out Russia’s terms of entry to the organization. The Working Party will now send its accession recommendation to the December 15-17, 2011 Ministerial Conference, where Ministers are expected to approve the documents and accept Russia as a WTO Member. According to the WTO, if Russia ratifies the accession package, full-fledged membership is expected by July 2012.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the November 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):
On November 4, 2011, the House passed S. 1487, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to establish a program to issue Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards, and for other purposes. Since the Senate passed the same version of S. 1487 on November 3, 2011, the bill now goes to the President.
The State Department, World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently issued the following travel warnings, travel alerts, country specific information sheets, and disease outbreak-related information:
Several press sources quote a World Trade Organization negotiator as saying that Georgia and Russia have reached agreement on Russia's accession to the WTO, and that only several technical issues must be resolved before Russia can become a member. (See ITT's Online Archives 11103115 for summary on Congressional leaders urging the U.S. Trade Representative to address concerns on Russia's WTO accession.)
On November 1, 2011, the Office of Foreign Assets Control has added one individual and removed another from its "Specially Designated Nationals" List. Mali Khan (aka Madi Khan) of Afghanistan [SDGT] has been added and Shamil Salmanovich Basayev of Russia [SDGT] has been removed. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
According to a Transparency International press release, its 2011 Bribe Payers Index, released November 2, 2011, ranks 28 leading international and regional exporting countries by the likelihood of their firms to bribe abroad. The press release states that companies from Russia and China, who invested US$120 billion overseas in 2010, are seen as most likely to pay bribes abroad. Companies from the Netherlands and Switzerland are seen as least likely to bribe.