House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Mich.) voiced his support April 26 for plans for a hearing on giving Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) announced by the committee's Chairman, Dave Camp (R-Mich.) Levin said the hearing is long overdue, considering it has been four months since Russia was granted membership to the World Trade Organization.
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 Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule, effective April 25, 2012, which amends the Export Administration Regulations by adding two persons from France to the Entity List. This rule also removes 3 entries from the Entity List, adds 4 entries to the Entity List, and amends 17 entries to provide alternate addresses, alternate spelling of names, etc. on the basis of the BIS End-User Review Committee’s (ERC) annual review of the Entity List for 15 countries1.
The Census Bureau announced that preliminary March steel imports were $3 billion (2.6 million metric tons compared to the preliminary February totals of $2.8 billion (2.4 million metric tons). According to Census, the March change in steel imports based on metric tonnage reflected an increase primarily in blooms, billets and slabs. An increase occurred primarily with Mexico; a decrease occurred primarily with India.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service recently revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries:
On April 18, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
There are particular opportunities in the Asia Pacific region for American agricultural sector trade, said Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, in April 18 testimony to the Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness. "By globalizing our agricultural sector, we are able to tap into larger markets and grow our exports," he said.
The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. received an application to support the export of about $112 million in U.S. rail hardening and straightening equipment and services to Russia, it said in a Federal Register notice to be published April 18. The financed amount associated with the U.S. export contract is expected to total approximately $88 million, it said. Comments can be sent to economic.impact@exim.gov or by mail to 811 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room 947, Washington, DC 20571, within 14 days after the notice appears in the Federal Register.
From April 11 to April 13, 2012, the Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
From April 6 to April 10, 2012, the Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade Michelle O’Neill said she will lead an automotive parts and components trade mission to Russia, April 23-27, 2012. Representatives from 13 U.S. automotive manufacturing and service companies that supply parts and environmental solutions ranging from fenders, gaskets, and induction heating system, to emission reduction, leak testing, and engineering design will visit Moscow, Samara, and St. Petersburg, in order to meet with potential buyers to increase exports. In 2010, vehicles sales in Russia grew 30 percent, and are expected to continue at about 15 percent per year through 2015, according to the International Trade Administration.