Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed a civil penalty of $48,750 against Pratt & Whitney's aftermarket parts division to resolve 13 violations of the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (antiboycott regulations) PWCS voluntarily disclosed the conduct to BIS, cooperated with the investigation by BIS’s Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC), and took remedial measures after discovering the conduct at issue, all of which resulted in a significant reduction in penalty.

Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Frozen Fish Fillets from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from the People's Republic of China Softwood Lumber Products from Canada Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India Large Diameter Welded Pipe from the Republic of Turkey Magnesium Metal from the People's Republic of China Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe from Ukraine Utility Scale Wind Towers from Indonesia Metal Lockers and Parts Thereof from the People's Republic of China Stainless Steel Bar from India

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a Sudanese Military Leader for his command of  an entity whose members have engaged in acts of violence and human rights abuses, including the massacre of civilians, ethnic killings, and use of sexual violence. Meanwhile, in Stockholm, trial has begun for two senior executives of Lundin Oil, responsible for engaging the Sudanese Armed Forces to ensure security for their production interests in South Sudan in between 1997 and 2003.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) announced the removal of the motor yacht Flying Dragon from the list of Specially Designated Nationals and blocked Persons.

World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala addressed central bankers in Jackson Hole last week, making the case for trade central bankers and the trade community to work together, along with a neologism that may take some further selling.   A retreat from open global trade would undermine this supply “flexicurity” that comes when firms and households have more outside options from which to purchase goods and services.

The COAC will meet on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Comments must be submitted in writing no later than September 15, 2023. Meeting materials will be available by September 11, 2023, at: http://www.cbp.gov/​trade/​stakeholder-engagement/​coac/​coac-public-meetings.

As of August 2023, EXIM continued to monitor a prior years's transaction of two satellites for the government of Mexico, according to a GAO audit of EXIM's compliance financing dual-use items. The first satellite, launched in December 2012, was a fixed-service satellite that went live in February 2013. The second, a mobile-service satellite, launched in October 2015 and became operational that December. The board last approved a new dual-use transaction in fiscal year 2012.

A federal grand jury in the District of Connecticut returned a superseding indictment charging a Connecticut-based oil and gas trader for his role in an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras).   The original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco were unsealed on Feb. 15. In addition to the original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco, the superseding indictment charges Gary Oztemel with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.

This hearing will highlight the PRC’s use of transnational repression. Witnesses will discuss the diverse tactics used by the PRC, discuss specific cases of transnational repression and its effects on diaspora and dissident communities in the United States, Canada and worldwide, and offer recommendations for further congressional and administrative action and transatlantic cooperation.

Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Temporary Denial Order (TDO) against three individuals and four companies implicated in illicitly supplying the Russian military with U.S.-sourced micro-electronics having significant military applications.

The Market Impact Committee is seeking public comments on the potential market impact of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual Materials Plan (AMP) The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains a stockpile of critical and strategic materials known as the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). During a war or national emergency, this stockpile is meant to provide strategic and critical materials to support national defense and essential civilian requirements in a time of national emergency.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo concluded a four-day visit to China this week, meeting with her counterpart, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The trip aimed to revive economic dialogue between the world's two largest economies, despite persistent tensions over trade issues and national security. According to a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Thursday, China has urged the U.S. to extend "equal treatment" to Chinese companies investing in the United States. "China demands the U.S. give equal treatment to Chinese enterprises investing in the U.S. in terms of market access, regulatory enforcement, public procurement, and policy support," said Shu Jueting, a commerce ministry spokesperson. China also raised "serious concerns" over the U.S. imposition of Section 301 tariffs, describing them as "discriminatory."

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)  2023 trade enforcement priorities as spelled out in their annual report to congress outlines a continuation of previous initiatives, elevating labor and environmental standards, but continuing a staunch America First approach to national security priorities in dealing with multilaterla and bilateral disputes.

The Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement received a Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) petition from a Mexican aviation union July 31. The petition, from Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores de México (ASPA), alleged retaliation against union members from Aerotransportes Mas de Carga (Mas Air), an airline based in Mexico City.

The State Department charged Island Pyrochemical Industries Corp. with three violations of the Arms Export Control Act and and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations on Aug. 25. According to the State Department, Island brokered with a Chinese company without its approval. The Department also charged Island with "falsely listing itself as the seller and source of the defense article on a DSP-5 license application" in 2015.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encourages all importers, brokers, carriers, and other trade community users of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) to take this brief survey. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. Your response will help CBP understand users’ satisfaction with ACE, and a high response rate will ensure more accurate representation across the trade community. The survey will remain open through 11:59PM ET on September 13, 2023.

Under the newly adopted § 766.24(d)(1), BIS is now permitted to request the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement to extend an existing TDO for up to one year, a substantial extension from the previous 180-day limit. This enhanced provision is triggered in cases where a subject party has exhibited a pattern of repeated and ongoing violations of the EAR, thereby justifying the need for a more protracted control mechanism.

In a statement released August, Paul Munter, Chief Accountant of the SEC stated the Commission's opinion that the corporate community's risk assessment is inadequate and too narrowly focused. "We are troubled by instances in which management and auditors appear too narrowly focused on information and risks that directly impact financial reporting, while disregarding broader, entity-level issues that may also impact financial reporting and internal controls," Munter writes.

The Department of State is imposing sanctions and pursuing visa restrictions onindividuals and entities connected to forcible transfer and deportation of Ukraine’s children.   "On Ukrainian Independence Day, we are sanctioning two entities and 11 individuals for their involvement in the forcible transfer of Ukraine’s children to Russia-occupied areas. Ukraine’s children are not forgotten,” Secretary Blinken on Twitter.

OFAC is releasing the second episode of its “Introduction to OFAC” web series, a series of short videos created to provide viewers with a high-level introduction on the fundamentals of …