On May 10, 2011, the European Commission issued a proposal that would drastically revise the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) eligibility criteria, which may cause the number of countries receiving its GSP benefits to drop by half, from 176 countries and territories to 80. The EC is also proposing other modifications to the GSP+ program, graduation, procedures, etc.
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 Food Safety and Inspection Service has recently revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries:
The decision to move forward with the pending free trade agreements (FTAs) by the Administration and Congress could help resolve the impasse that has prevented consideration of the rest of the trade agenda, including renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences program.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretary-General welcomed the Russian President's recent signing into law of legislation that criminalizes foreign bribery, with monetary sanctions for companies and individuals who bribe foreign public officials. He stated that this action paves the way for Russia to join the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Convention and to become a member of the OECD’s Working Group on Bribery, which will be discussed in the next few days.
The International Trade Administration is initiating an anti-circumvention inquiry to determine whether imports of an intermediate product by an entity in Russia that is converted into ferrovanadium in the U.S. are circumventing the antidumping duty order on ferrovanadium and nitrided vanadium (ferrovanadium) from Russia (A-821-807).
The International Trade Administration is publishing notices on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, the scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in a subsequent ITT article):
On May 4, 2011, the Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an ADD/CVD message announcing its discontinuation of license conditions for entry release and importer certification requirements due to the termination of the antidumping duty suspension agreement on ammonium nitrate from Russia (A-821-811).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has released its 2011 “Special 301” annual report on the adequacy and effectiveness of U.S. trading partners’ protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). This year, for the first time, USTR has issued an open invitation to all trading partners listed in the report to cooperatively develop action plans to resolve IPR issues of concern.
On May 2, 2011, the Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports: