Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins will travel to Vienna, Austria on September 24-28 to attend the 67th General Conference of the International …

On July 3, 2023, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a recent actions notice, reminding holders of property blocked pursuant to OFAC sanctions regulations published in Chapter V of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) of the requirement to provide OFAC with an Annual Report of Blocked Property (ARBP).  

Deputy United States Trade Representative Jayme White met last week with Mexico’s Under Secretary of Economy for Foreign Trade Alejandro Encinas ahead of the second USMCA SME Dialogue. During the meeting, Ambassador White reiterated concerns about the recent surge in U.S. imports of certain steel and aluminum products from Mexico and the lack of transparency regarding Mexico’s steel and aluminum imports from third countries, and encouraged Mexico to enhance its monitoring of Mexican steel and aluminum exports to the United States in accordance with the 2019 Joint Statement by the United States and Mexico on Section 232 Duties on Steel and Aluminum.

The Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) will meet in open session from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, 2023. This will be a hybrid meeting

The U.S. Department of Commerce today released the final rule implementing the national security guardrails of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The rule elaborates on two core provisions of the statute: the first, prohibiting CHIPS funds recipients from expanding material semiconductor manufacturing capacity in foreign countries of concern for ten years; and the second, restricting recipients from certain joint research or technology licensing efforts with foreign entities of concern.

In a speech at Washington's CSIS, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai outlined the Biden-Harris Administration's vision for a reformed World Trade Organization (WTO). The Ambassador emphasized the need for the WTO to adapt to contemporary challenges like climate change and non-market economic policies. She also reiterated that the rules governing the WTO should not be static but must be updated through ongoing negotiations among member states.

The African Group has proposed several initiatives that call for “policy space for industrial development” based on “re-balancing” the existing World Trade Organization rules in order to promote their own industrialization, said people familiar with the development.

US and Sri Lanka trade officials discussed labor reform and agricultural market access at the 14th meeting of the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Council meeting in Colombo.

The United States, the European Union and other proponents on Monday apparently failed to provide any convincing reasons as to why the World Trade Organization’s 1998 moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions should be continued beyond the 13th ministerial conference, which is going to be held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, our correspondent writes.

The European Commission tabled a customs reform package on 17 May 2023. Along with a number of other provisions, key to the reform would be the establishment of an EU customs authority, which would oversee a new customs data hub.

In a recent speech, Marshall Miller, principal associate deputy attorney general, emphasized consistency, predictability, and transparency in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to corporate enforcement, particularly in relation to national security.  "National security laws must rise to the top of your compliance risk chart, with the recognition that even the most innocuous-looking transaction or activity could implicate our collective security."

3M has agreed to settle its potential civil liability for 54 apparent violations of OFAC sanctions on Iran that arose from its subsidiary’s sale of reflective license plate sheeting to an Iranian entity controlled by the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces. OFAC determined that these apparent violations were egregious and were voluntarily self-disclosed, and imposed a $9,618,477 settlement

Tin- and Chromium-Coated Steel Sheet from Japan Tin Mill Products from Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom Steel Wire Garment Hangers from Taiwan and Vietnam; Raw Honey from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from Mexico

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released updates to its list of controlled “common high priority” items identified as critical to Russia’s war effort following meetings with key members of the Global Export Control Coalition. In coordination with partners, BIS has added seven new Harmonized System (HS) codes to the list, including bearings needed for heavy vehicles or other machinery and antennae used for navigation systems. Additionally, Tier 3 has been divided into mechanical and non- mechanical items to provide greater clarity.

With this submission, the Census Bureau is requesting continued clearance of the AES program as a result of the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register on August 10, 2023 ( 88 FR 54234 ) …

This information is necessary to support the execution of the President's priorities and allocations authority under the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), as amended, and the priorities authorities under the Selective Service Act of 1948 , delegated to the Secretary of Commerce and implemented by the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) regulation. The purpose of this authority is to ensure preferential acceptance and priority performance of contracts and orders for all materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials, the authority for which has not been delegated to other agencies in support of approved national defense programs.

House Ways and Means Committee members are calling on the Administration and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to fight Canada’s unilateral imposition of a digital service tax. The members noted that almost all 140 economies participating in the OECD work to reach agreement on updated international tax rules approved a one-year extension of the moratorium on DSTs through December 31, 2024. “We are disappointed that Canada is unfortunately moving against this global consensus with a punitive DST scheduled to take effect next year.”

India has upended the ongoing Doha fisheries subsidies negotiations at the World Trade Organization, by circulating a comprehensive proposal that seeks some fundamental changes in addressing overcapacity and overfishing. Under the scope of the proposal, India calls for the inclusion of “fuel subsidies, whether specific or non-specific” since they have the same harmful impact on the marine environment and S&DT The determination of “what would constitute low-income or resource-poor or livelihood fishing and fishing related activities should be decided by the national authorities,” India says.

Trade officials from the United States and Bangladesh discussed worker rights and intellectual property protections yesterday at the seventh meeting of the bilateral Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement Council. US officials called for Bangladesh to take action against counterfeit clothing, as the country currently ranks as one of the top source economies for counterfeit clothing globally as noted in USTR’s 2023 Special 301 Repor

South Africa will host the 20th African Growth and Opportunity Act forum in Johannesburg this November 2-4. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel announced the date following a meeting Sept. 20.