On 23 May 2016, at a joint press conference with President Quang in Hanoi, President Obama announced the lifting of the U.S. arms embargo against Vietnam, which had been in place since 1984. The U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) subsequently announced the end of its policy prohibiting the sale and transfer of lethal weapons to Vietnam. This announcement follows DDTC’s recent lifting of arms embargoes on Sri Lanka and Côte d’Ivoire.…
Further to our blog post on 26 April 2016 summarising the proposed Part 8 financial sanctions elements of the Policing and Crime Bill 2015-16 to 2016-17 (the “Bill“), the Bill reached its 1st and 2nd reading stages in the House of Commons on 19 May 2016 without any questions put. As previously set out, the Bill proposes the introduction of an extended maximum penalty, Serious Crime Prevention Orders and Deferred Prosecution Agreements, and a new…
On 25 May 2016, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2288 (2016), which terminated, with immediate effect, the measures on arms, previously imposed by paragraph 2 of Resolution 1521 (2003) and modified by paragraphs 1 and 2 of Resolution 1683 (2006), by paragraph 1 (b) of Resolution 1731 (2006), by paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Resolution 1903 (2009), by paragraph 3 of Resolution 1961 (2010), and by paragraph 2 (b) of…
On 25 May 2016, the Swiss Government announced that on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2283 (2016) of 28 April 2016, the Federal Council has repealed the Ordinance on Measures against Côte d’Ivoire. The measures involved a partial embargo on armaments, as well as financial and travel sanctions. The Ordinance is repealed as of 6pm on 25 May 2016. Following the failed putsch against Laurent Gbagbo’s government on 19 September 2002 and the…
On May 25, 2016, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, published in the Federal Register a notice that lists the updated quantity-based trigger levels for products which may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. The notice also includes the relevant period applicable for the trigger levels on each of the listed products. QUANTITY-BASED SAFEGUARD TRIGGER Product Trigger level Period Beef 317,530…
On May 23, 2016, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) posted an Industry Notice on exports to Vietnam which states: Change in Policy on Exports of Munitions to Vietnam Pursuant to a decision made by the Secretary of State and effective immediately, the Department of State’s policy prohibiting the sale or transfer of lethal weapons to Vietnam, including restrictions on exports to and imports from Vietnam for arms and related materiel, has…
On May 20, 2016, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce (Commerce) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule [Docket No. 160506400-6400-01] to modify the regulation pertaining to written argument in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings and is seeking comments from parties. This modification, if adopted, is intended to establish word limits for submission of case and rebuttal briefs. This action is necessary to streamline the process contained in the current regulation,…
CBP has published in the Federal Register the following determinations concerning the country of origin of merchandise for purposes of US Government procurement under the Trade Agreements Act. A copy of the final determination may be reviewed by clicking on the ruling number. Any party-at-interest may seek judicial review of the final determination within 30 days of the date of publication in the Federal Register. F.R. Date Ruling Reference (Date Issued) and Product Country…
On May 23, 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a general notice announcing that effective July 23, 2016, ACE will be the sole CBP authorized EDI system for the electronic entry and entry summary filings listed below, for all filers. These electronic filings must be formatted for submission in ACE, and will no longer be accepted in ACS. 01—Consumption—Free and Dutiable 02—Consumption—Quota/Visa 03—Consumption—Antidumping/Countervailing Duty 06—Consumption—Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)…
US – President continues national emergency with respect to stabilization of IraqOn May 20, 2016, the Federal Register published Presidential Notice of May 18, 2016 – Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq which continues the national emergency first declared in Executive Order (E.O.) 13303 of May 20, 2016. Because the obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and…