U.S. agricultural exporters to China are choosing to send their own “commitment statements” instead of signing a China-provided customs form that requires the U.S. shipper to guarantee the goods are free of COVID-19 contamination (see 2006230012), the Agriculture Transportation Coalition said June 26. AgTC said exporters have not faced many issues by submitting their own statements. AgTC is providing its members with three examples of commitment statements that can be sent along with shipments. “While China Customs has not confirmed that these statements are acceptable as substitutes for the official form, we are hearing that exporters sending these statements have not encountered any issues so far with their customers clearing cargo in China,” AgTC emailed its members.
The State Department is extending the comment deadline on an information collection related to notifications submitted to the agency for changes in company registration. The information collection applies to companies registered with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls that undergo a change in registration information, or if the company is involved in a merger, acquisition or divestiture of an entity producing items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Comments, which were due by June 1 (see 2003310022), now will be accepted through July 30.
The U.S. is considering providing relief to U.S. lobster exporters hit by Chinese retaliatory tariffs and will more closely examine whether China is meeting its seafood purchase commitments under the phase one trade deal. The White House said June 24 it may provide aid to the seafood industry for China’s “unjust retaliatory tariffs,” and President Donald Trump directed the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to submit monthly reports on Chinese seafood purchases and the value of lobster exports to China.
The Defense Department on June 24 released a list of Chinese companies with links to the Chinese military, including Huawei and Hikvision. The list includes 20 companies, most which are already listed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List, that could be subject to additional U.S. sanctions. "As the People’s Republic of China attempts to blur the lines between civil and military sectors, 'knowing your supplier' is critical," a Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement. "We envision this list will be a useful tool for the U.S. Government, companies, investors, academic institutions, and likeminded partners to conduct due diligence with regard to partnerships with these entities, particularly as the list grows." The release of the list comes two months after Commerce issued a rule expanding export licensing restrictions on shipments to military end-users or for military end-uses in China, Russia and Venezuela (see 2004270027).
The Democratic National Committee chairman, and progressive star Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., described President Donald Trump's trade war with China as a failed attempt at getting tough on China that hurt Pennsylvania exporters and manufacturers. “China smelled Trump's desperation and played him like a fiddle,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez said on a video conference call with reporters June 24. “He lost the trade war that he started.”
The State Department on June 23 submitted to Congress its unclassified annual report on other countries’ compliance with global arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament agreements. The report contains comprehensive U.S. assessments on global compliance and expands on an April 15 executive summary of the report (see 2004160038).
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Ukraine worth about $600 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said June 17. The sale includes 16 “Mark VI Patrol Boats” and related equipment. The prime contractor is SAFE Boats International in Washington state.
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Canada worth about $862.3 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said June 16. The sale includes 50 “Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles” and related equipment. The prime contractors are Raytheon, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Boeing and Collins Aerospace.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report on the status of U.S. poultry exports to China urges U.S. exporters to reconnect with Chinese importers and distributors and seek out new contacts now that the country is accepting U.S. poultry imports (see 1911140019). The June 11 report outlines current market conditions, access regulations and market entry recommendations. The Chinese market “has changed considerably” since the U.S. “last had market access in 2015,” USDA said, adding that U.S. exporters should consider working with suppliers to China’s “semi-prepared and frozen food processing segments.” That sector has seen “considerable change … and may offer new opportunities for U.S. exporters,” it said.
SEMI, a global electronics manufacturing and design industry association, applauded a Senate bill introduced last week (see 2006110038) that would provide funding for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The legislation would help U.S. semiconductor research, increase U.S. competitiveness and bolster national security, SEMI said June 12. It would help the U.S. keep up with foreign competitors that benefit from “robust incentives,” SEMI said. “The lack of a federal U.S. incentive [has helped drive] the location of semiconductor manufacturing facilities overseas,” the group said, calling the bill a “significant step forward.” The Semiconductor Industry Association also praised the measure.