The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of Feb. 22 (some may also 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:
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Bureau of Industry and Security is turning up its enforcement focus on illicit shipments to Russia and Ukraine after the U.S. issued several sanctions against Moscow in December, Joseph Whitehead, special agent in charge of the BIS San Jose Field Office, said during the Annual Export Control Forum. The U.S. ordered sanctions in response to alleged interference in U.S. election processes and alleged harassment of U.S. personnel in Russia (see 1612300010). “From an investing in special agents standpoint, we are thirsting for Russian cases right now,” Whitehead said. “So we do look for those, and go after them.” There has been an uptick in export violations vis-a-vis Russia since the executive branch first ratcheted up sanctions against the country in 2014 following its invasion of Crimea, he said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued "Cyber-related General License 1," which authorizes certain transactions with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) ordinarily incident to requesting certain licenses and authorizations from that entity for the importation, distribution or use of certain information technology products in Russia, OFAC said (here). The license also authorizes certain transactions with the FSB ordinarily incident to transactions necessary and ordinarily incident to comply with rules and regulations administered by, and certain actions or investigations involving, the FSB. The OFAC license is contingent on the proper Commerce Department authorizations for the exportation, re-exportation or provision of any goods or technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations, as well as on the payment of any fees to the FSB for any necessary licenses totaling $5,000 or less in any calendar year, the general license says. The general license does not apply to exportation, re-exportation or provision of any goods, technology, or services in "the Crimea region of Ukraine," OFAC said. "We're not easing sanctions," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in response to a reporter's question during a Feb. 2 press briefing. "It's a fairly common practice for the Treasury Department, after sanctions are put in place, to go back and to look at whether or not there needs to be specific carve-outs for different industries or products and services that need to be going back and forth." Spicer referred further questions to Treasury.
On Feb. 1 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission began a five-year sunset review of the antidumping duty order on uranium from Russia (A-821-802).
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Feb. 1 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
On Jan. 25 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Jan. 13 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The Bureau of Industry and Security is issuing a final rule to add five persons to the Entity List under destination of Turkey, to remove one entity under the destination of India, and to revise five existing entries on the list under the destinations of Armenia, Greece, Pakistan, Russia and the United Kingdom, the agency said (here). Furthermore, the final rule will revise the license requirement under the destination of Russia to conform with General License 11 issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control on Dec. 20 (see 1612210019), BIS said. Aligning with the general license, BIS is making a conforming change modifying the listing for FAU Glavgosekspertiza Rossii under the destination of Russia; specifically, BIS will change the license requirement column in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for this entity to specify that the Entity List's license requirements don't apply to items subject to the EAR related to transactions authorized by OFAC pursuant to that license. The license authorizes transactions otherwise prohibited by Executive Order 13685 of Dec. 19, 2014, that are "ordinarily incident" and necessary to requesting, contracting for, paying for, receiving or utilizing a project design review or permit from FAU Glavgosekspertiza Rossii’s office(s) in the Russian Federation, provided that the underlying project is located wholly within Russia.
The Bureau of Industry and Security and the State Department are issuing concurrent final rules to finalize the transfer of items from U.S. Munitions List (USML) Category XV (spacecraft systems and associated equipment) to the Commerce Control List (CCL) that no longer warrant USML control. BIS’s (here) and State’s (here) final rules build upon comments received after respective interim final rules were published on May 13, 2014 (see 14051224), and will take effect Jan. 15, they said.