Germany updated its recent export ban on medical protective equipment used to prevent “infectious diseases,” the country said in a March 12 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The export ban applies to goods such as “protective goggles, respiratory masks, protective coats, protective suits and gloves” in an effort to ensure the country has adequate supplies during the coronavirus outbreak. Export exceptions are only available “under strict conditions,” the country said.
European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, who was scheduled to give a speech in Washington next week, canceled his trip because of the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman said. The groups that had invited him to speak canceled the events. The cancelation was made before Trump announced that non-citizens and non-green card holders would not be allowed to fly between the EU countries that have open borders and the U.S. That ban does not cover Ireland, Hogan's home country, but does cover Belgium, where the EU has its headquarters.
Italy will transfer responsibilities for dual-use export license requests and export control policies from its Ministry of Economic Development to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs Munitions Licensing Unit (UAMA) after June 30, according to a March 9 post from the European Union Sanctions blog. Beginning July 1, export control responsibilities will “be divided between the ministries” or “transfer entirely to UAMA,” the post said.
The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade updated its guidance on trade sanctions related to Syria, according to a March 9 notice. The change updates the guidance’s section on crude oil and petroleum products.
The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade issued a March 9 guidance for businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. The guidance provides information on how DIT is providing “supply chain disruption support” and other support for businesses that export to China.
The annual report on Russia's compliance with World Trade Organization standards echoed much of last year's report (see 1902050029). The U.S. exported $6.7 billion in goods to Russia in 2018, with aircraft, machinery and vehicles as the most common exports. That is nearly 29% less than was exported 10 years ago. It has complied with its tariff commitments, but has numerous non-tariff barriers, the U.S. Trade Representative's report said.
The United Kingdom’s Export Control Joint Unit updated its guidance for its revoked open general export licenses for chemicals, according to a March 3 notice. The guidance provides revoked versions of the OGELs as a reference for exporters, the notice said.
The World Trade Organization must do more to address unfair trade practices, including trade advantages arising from industrial subsidies, state-owned companies and forced technology transfers, United Kingdom Trade Secretary Liz Truss told the WTO, according to a March 3 news release. To do this, WTO members should “update the WTO rulebook” and develop rules for developing countries to “trade their way to prosperity.” She added that more WTO members must advocate for “working together, not protectionism,” and said, as an independent member of the WTO, the U.K. will push for “liberalisation in trade.”
Italy recently issued guidance to its rules on “letters of intent” for value-added tax relief for certain exporters, according to a March 2 KPMG post. The guidance outlines new procedures so “habitual exporters” can trade without application of VATs, KPMG said. Among several recent changes, those exporters no longer have to provide suppliers or Italian Customs with a “copy of the letter of intent or the tax authority’s receipt” and no longer have to post those letters in a “special ledger,” the post said.
In the Feb. 25 - March 3 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted: