The International Trade Commission posted the 2015 edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (here). The new HTS implements changes made by several presidential proclamations to the eligibility for preferential trade programs of Russia, Madagascar, Swaziland, Guinea, Guinea-Bisseau, and South Sudan. It also adds new statistical suffixes to several tariff subheadings for products that include plastic gift wrapping materials, diamond sawblade parts, and extension cords. Most of the changes take effect Jan. 1.
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 Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized U.S. companies to wind down most divestment and dealings with Crimean individuals and entities through Jan. 31 (here), following recent executive action to quash imports from and exports to Crimea. According to the Dec. 30 OFAC general license, transactions and other dealings will be given the month buffer if they are “ordinarily incident and necessary” to the following criteria:
Russia is expected to levy increased duties on grain exports from Feb. 1, after the Ministry for Economic Development introduced a regulatory change in recent days (here). The measure would hike grain export duties to “15 percent plus 7.5 euros but no less than” roughly $42.5 per ton, said a Dec. 25 government notice. “The new grain export duty is aimed at stabilizing the domestic grain market,” it said. The measure will still have to be formally endorsed by the government before it will take effect. Only exports outside the Eurasian Customs Union, which includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, will be affected. The Russian grain export lobby is pushing a delay in implementation of the change, The Moscow Times reported (here).
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control made changes to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Dec. 29 (here) and 30 (here).
The incoming Republican-led Senate will take up legislation in January to ensure Iranian sanctions will be restored if a nuclear enrichment deal collapses, and supporters may be able to build a veto-proof majority, said, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., in recent days. Speaking to Fox News on Dec. 28 (here), Kirk, a sponsor of the Iranian sanctions bill, said soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will first push a vote to approve the Keystone pipeline, and then move to the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013, S-1881 (here).
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices for Dec. 26-29 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The State Department banned U.S. export licenses and U.S. government trade authorizations, including procurement, for dealings with a wide range of individuals, foreign government entities and international companies over proliferation violations. The ban complies with the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act. State is also suspending existing licenses for trade with the following entities:
Russian scaled back its efforts to meet World Trade Organization requirements in its second year as a member, following a promising 2013, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in an annual report (here). President Barack Obama signed into law in December 2012 a measure to give Russia permanent normal trade relations after it acceded to the WTO, but throughout 2014 Russia abused and violated a set of trade rules, said USTR in the report. The PNTR legislation requires USTR to submit an annual report on Russian trade compliance.
On Dec. 22 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Commerce Department is issuing an antidumping duty order on hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products from Russia (A-821-809) (here). The move comes after Commerce terminated an agreement suspending its AD duty investigation on hot-rolled steel from Russia that had been in place since 1999. Suspension of liquidation and AD duty cash deposit requirements take effect for entries beginning Dec. 19.