The European Union issued the following trade-related releases on December 13-14, 2011 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):
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:
Russia's Ministry for Economic Development reported on December 9, 2011 that Liotech, a joint venture between China's Thunder Sky and Rusnano, has opened the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory. The Russian plant will produce batteries for all kinds of uses including ultra high capacity for electric vehicles.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation senior officials gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 13, 2011 to set their priorities for 2012 aimed at boosting growth in trade and investment in Asia-Pacific. As the 2012 Chair of APEC, Russia announced that the theme for next year, “Integrate to Grow, Innovate to Prosper” would focus on the following four priorities: expanding trade and investment liberalization and expanding regional economic integration; strengthening food security; establishing reliable supply chains; and fostering innovative growth.
During a December 13, 2011 speech before the Washington International Trade Association, Representative Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, discussed the future congressional trade agenda, including plans to move a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, Customs reauthorization bill, Trade Promotion Authority, extension of AGOA third country fabric provision, etc. Rep. Brady also discussed future plans for completing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, finalizing Russia’s WTO membership, and U.S.-China trade relations.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the December 9, 2011 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):
The International Trade Administration has published its quarterly list of (i) recently completed antidumping and countervailing duty scope rulings and anticircumvention determinations; (ii) terminated scope and anticircumvention inquiries; and (iii) pending scope inquiries and anticircumvention rulings.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for November 21-23, 2011 in case they were missed last week. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive (ONCIX) has published its 2009-2011 biennial report to Congress appraising the threat to the U.S. from foreign economic collection and industrial espionage. The report finds that the pace of espionage activities against major U.S. corporations and government agencies is accelerating, with much of this activity appearing to originate in China and Russia.
The State Department reports that the U.S. and Russia exchanged diplomatic notes on November 19, 2011 to allow tourists and business travelers from both the U.S. and Russia to receive visas with longer validity periods of 36 months, valid for multiple entries. The agreement also streamlines the visa issuance process by reducing the documentation required. The Russian Duma must ratify the agreement and then a second set of notes must be exchanged, before it can go into effect 30 days later.
On November 7, 2011, the U.S. brought a case before the Court of International Trade to sue Pier Garden, Inc., a California clothing retailer, for $1.9 million in penalties for allegedly importing apparel during 2004-2006 that was made in China, but claimed to be made in Russia, in order to avoid a quota.