Germany announced the extension of general permits for exports in a March 17 notice, according to an unofficial translation. General Licenses No. 12 to No. 14 and General Licenses No. 16 to No. 28 are extended to March 31, 2022. General License No. 15 was already deemed valid until the same date. The update also detailed information on General License No. 28 -- Franco-German cooperation on export controls in the arms sector derived from the Franco-German Treaty of Aachen of 2019. The agreement gives privileges to de minimis arms exports. Also, in relation to arms exports from Germany to France, registration for the General Approval must be completed before use of the permit, a preliminary procedure must be made in certain cases and the General License user must request a “declaration of integration” from a French regulator. The general license provision entered into force April 1, 2020.
The Bureau of Industry and Security removed certain license restrictions for Sudan (see 2012080003) to reflect the U.S. decision to rescind Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism (see 2012170015). The final rule, effective Jan. 14, will amend the Export Administration Regulations by removing anti-terrorism controls on exports to Sudan and by removing Sudan from Country Group E:1, which makes the country eligible for a 25% de minimis level, BIS said. Sudan also was added to Country Group B and will be eligible for several new license exceptions.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some top stories for 2020 in case they were missed.
The Commerce Department published its fall 2020 regulatory agenda for the Bureau of Industry and Security, including new mentions of rules to amend Hong Kong under the Export Administration Regulations, releases of controlled technologies to standards setting bodies and a range of new technology controls.
China’s new export control law (see 2010190033 and 2010220024) is expected to significantly impact trade and may include “very broad” catch-all controls, leading to compliance burdens for companies doing business in China, law firms said. Businesses should review their compliance programs to make sure they are prepared for the regulations and to avoid potential Chinese penalties, firms said, which could be severe.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the trade facilitation agreement that the U.S. and Brazil signed Oct. 19 is very similar to the USMCA trade facilitation chapter, and that traders should expect more incremental progress in coming months. “There’s a lot more that needs to be done,” Lighthizer said during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce program Oct. 20. “We have ongoing negotiations on ethanol. Brazilians like to talk about sugar. There’s a variety of things in the agriculture area.”
Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, told a business audience that his country and the U.S. have completed a trade facilitation agreement, an agreement on best regulatory practices, and an anti-corruption agreement. He said these treaties would “slash red tape and bring about even more growth to our bilateral trade with beneficial effects to the flow of investments as well.”
While the changes to de minimis for Canada and Mexico have been heavily discussed, Doug Band, the Canada Border Services Agency's director general of trade and anti-dumping, directed traders to the revisions' finer points during a CBP Virtual Trade Week seminar on the USMCA, known as CUSMA in Canada.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 13-17 in case you missed them.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 6-10 in case you missed them.