A U.S. decoupling from China would be a mistake, China’s U.S. ambassador said, criticizing what he called the U.S.’s alarmist foreign policy and its “wrong rationale” for starting a trade war with China. Ambassador Cui Tiankai said decoupling may not even be possible because of the “inseparable links” between the two countries. “And considering China’s advantages in cost, market and supply chain and its growing edge in innovation, to decouple from China is to decouple from opportunities,” Cui said, speaking Sept. 17 in New York.
China is planning to strengthen its export controls through a new law that may be implemented this year, according to a Sept. 16 Lexology post from AnJie Law Firm.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will increase sanctions on Iran after his administration suggested Iran was behind an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities.
Legislative discussions continue for how to shape legislation in order to regain control of trade policy from the Trump administration as the legislative branch is further pushed to the sidelines, a former senior U.S. trade negotiator said. Barbara Weisel, former assistant U.S. trade representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said Congress is beginning to question how it can retake its constitutionally granted powers over trade, which have been overtaken by the Trump administration and its preference for bilateral negotiations. “One has to believe there are many members of Congress now who are debating and quietly discussing how they are going to adjust this issue,” Weisel said during a Sept. 17 event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, focused on the "America First" trade policy with regard to Japan and Taiwan. “And I think it’s about time.”
The Treasury Department released its proposed regulations for the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, granting expanded authorities to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, Treasury said in a Sept. 17 press release.
The United Nations Security Council renewed sanctions on the Central African Republic until Jan. 21, 2020, in a Sept. 12 resolution. The resolution continues an arms embargo against the country but removes restrictions on certain exports, including protective clothing temporarily exported to the CAR by UN personnel, humanitarian aid workers or members of the media for personal use only; supplies of non-lethal military equipment for humanitarian use; and supplies of “small arms ... intended solely for use in international-led patrols.”
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls IT Modernization team is updating the third-party function of its Defense Export Control and Compliance System (DECCS) application, the DDTC said Sept. 16. The changes, which take effect Sept. 20, will require third-party users to “use a dedicated account to access a company’s information,” the DDTC said. If users need “access to multiple companies” as a third party, they can register “multiple accounts using unique email addresses,” the DDTC said. Questions should be directed to the Defense Trade Application System help desk at dtradehelpdesk@state.gov or (202) 663-2838.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and 16 entities for involvement with the Nicolas Maduro-led regime in Venezuela, Treasury said in a Sept. 17 press release. The people and entities are connected to Alex Nain Saab Moran and his business partner Alvaro Enrique Pulido Vargas, who have helped the Maduro regime to “corruptly profit” from imports of food aid and distribution within the country. The designated people include Saab’s two brothers, Amir Luis Saab Moran and Luis Alberto Saab Moran, and Pulido’s son David Enrique Rubio Gonzalez, Treasury said. The 16 entities -- based in Colombia, Panama and Italy -- are owned or controlled by the sanctioned people.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Sept. 9-13 in case they were missed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to designate norfentanyl as a fentanyl precursor chemical and control it as a schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act. "The scheduling of norfentanyl as an immediate precursor of the schedule II controlled substance, fentanyl, would subject norfentanyl to all of the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, importing, and exporting of a schedule II controlled substance," DEA said. Comments are due Nov. 18.