The Russian government on July 17 extended for another year, until Sept. 1, 2024, its simplified procedure for confirming the compliance of imported goods with technical regulations and interstate standards, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced, according to an unofficial translation. Originally set in March 2022, the policy allows exporters to use a simplified procedure whereby they submit declarations of conformity based on their own evidence without "lengthy laboratory tests."

The U.S. and EU this week condemned Russia's decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed grain to be exported from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia amid fighting between Russia and Ukraine (see 2305030024). "We urge the Government of Russia to reverse its decision, to resume negotiations, and to extend, expand, and fully implement the Initiative immediately for the benefit of the millions of people who depend on Ukrainian grain," the State Department said. The European Council also called on Russia to "cease illegally blocking Ukrainian seaports and allow freedom of navigation on the Black Sea," adding that it will "spare no efforts" in supporting the delivery of all goods, "especially agricultural products to global markets through EU-Ukraine 'Solidarity Lanes.'"

The U.K. blocked or ordered foreign investments to unwind five times from April 2022 to March 2023, the country said in its 2023 report on its National Security and Investment Act. The report, released this month, said the U.K. received 866 investment notifications, clearing about 93% of them within 30 days and intervening in 15 instances for national security reasons. It didn’t issue any penalties.

The U.K. formally signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership July 15. The deal currently has 11 members -- Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam -- and serves as a succeeding trade deal to the Trans-Pacific Partnership following the U.S. withdrawal.

The U.K. on July 17 added 13 people and one entity to its Russia sanctions list. The people include government officials and ministers and others responsible for the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. The lone entity is the Federal State Budget Educational Institution Artek International Children's Center. In the notice, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation also amended the entries for nine people and one entity.

The EU General Court last week affirmed a European Commission decision that allowed German securities depository bank Clearstream Banking to comply with U.S. sanctions on Iran. The case stemmed from a commission decision in 2020 that authorized Clearstream to withhold payment of dividends to German firm IFIC Holding, whose shares are indirectly held by the Iranian government. IFIC had asked the General Court to annul the decision.

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will begin rejecting incomplete license applications instead of “engaging” with applicants to collect all required information, the agency announced last week. OFSI said its licensing team has experienced “unprecedented high demand” caused by its Russia sanctions, including a surge in new applications and requests to amend existing licenses, and it doesn’t have the time to continue a temporary measure under which it worked with applicants to fix missing information.

The European Council on July 14 extended by six months the humanitarian exception to its Syria sanctions regime. The exception allows for aid to enter Syria following the February earthquake in Syria and Turkey. The exception, to expire Feb. 24, 2024, also allows international organizations and "certain defined categories of actors involved in humanitarian activities in Syria" to make funds available to sanctioned parties.

A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with a recent sanctions move from the bloc under its Iran sanctions regime, the European Council said July 14. The council in June amended the list of sanctioned individuals and entities. The countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposed the decision.

The EU on July 13 removed import restrictions on certain food from Japan that had been in place since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident. The European Council said the move follows "positive results from controls done on the products" by the Japanese government and EU member states. Following 2011, the bloc tested food products for radioactivity pre-export. By 2021, the restrictions were limited to "wild mushrooms, some fish species and wild edible plants." The U.K. lifted similar restrictions last year (see 2206290022).