The U.K. on Dec. 28 updated its Haiti sanctions guidance to reflect the October renewal by the U.N. Security Council of an arms embargo against the country (see 2310240072). The U.K. said under certain cases it may grant certain export licenses for weapons shipments to Haiti, or licenses for a U.N. or U.N.-authorized mission to the country that is intended to “further the objectives of peace and stability in Haiti.”

Switzerland brought its Russia sanctions regime in line with the EU's by adopting the bloc's 12th sanctions package following Russia's invasion of Ukraine (see 2312180070), Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs announced. The sanctions package adds 61 people and 86 entities to the list and implements a phased ban on Russian diamonds, though the secretariat noted that there are no longer any direct diamond imports from Russia to Switzerland since the invasion.

The U.K. is studying risks from imported oysters in the “hopes of mitigating” possible public health risks, including norovirus outbreaks, Keller and Heckman said in a December client alert. The country’s Office for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Trade Assurance commissioned the Foods Standards Agency to look into the matter, the firm said, adding the U.K. has identified “chemical and microbiological hazards” from imported oysters, including heavy metals, natural biotoxins, viral and bacterial pathogens and “persistent organic chemicals.” The firm said the U.K. imports about 350,000 kg of oysters annually, mostly from South Korea, France and New Zealand.

The EU General Court on Dec. 20 granted Russian business executive Sergei Mndoiants' request to annul his placement on the Russia sanctions list. The court also rejected similar requests from oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Vadim Nikolaevich Moshkovich.

The EU's new anti-coercion instrument entered into force Dec. 27, the European Commission announced. The tool allows the bloc to impose tariffs and place other trade restrictions in response to economic coercion (see 2310230012). The commission said it will take stakeholders' views into account when imposing retaliatory action, adding that any actions taken under the tool "are consistent with the EU's international obligations and fully grounded in international law."

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on Dec. 21 amended the sanctions listing for Yuri Soloviev, former chairman of the management board of VTB Bank. The entry was updated to reflect that his connection to the bank is through former positions held there.

The European Council on Dec. 21 agreed to give European and British electric vehicle makers until Dec. 31, 2026, to comply with the local content requirements for EVs and batteries under the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the council said. The more stringent rules of origin, along with up to a 10% tariff on goods that failed to meet the requirements, were set to take effect Jan. 1. The bloc proposed the extension earlier this month, saying the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and foreign subsidies led to a slower scaling-up of the EU battery industry than it had expected (see 2312080074).

The EU and Kenya on Dec. 18 officially signed an Economic Partnership Agreement, which will provide duty-free EU market access for Kenyan products and gradually open the Kenyan market to EU goods (see 2312120014). The deal takes effect after it's approved by the European Parliament and the two parties have alerted one another of the "completion of their internal legal procedures," the European Council said.

The European Commission on Dec. 20 opened an antidumping investigation on biodiesel from China following a complaint from EU biodiesel producers. Those producers submitted evidence of biodiesel imports from China coming in at "artificially low prices," the commission said, adding that the producers said the imports are "seriously harming their industry because they cannot compete with such low prices." The EU biodiesel industry is worth nearly $34 billion annually, the commission said.

Women who advocate for businesses in the EU and in the U.S. complained that while the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council is better than nothing, it has neglected the "trade" part of its title.