The State Department this week urged companies to increase their due diligence efforts for supply chains that involve certain critical minerals from Rwanda and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, saying illegal trade in gold, tantalum and other minerals from the African Great Lakes Region “continues to play” a role in financing conflict in the region. In a “statement of concern,” the agency said companies trading in these critical minerals may be aiding human rights abuses, including forced labor.

The State Department published its annual list of countries certified to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031. The qualified countries have met at least one of two conditions: they have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that's comparable to that of the U.S., or the fishing environment of the country poses no risk to sea turtles.

The State Department is seeking public comments on an information collection relating to the declaration form required for certain shrimp imports. The agency said the DS-2031 form is necessary to document imports of shrimp and shrimp products in compliance with a U.S. law prohibiting imports of shrimp “harvested in ways which are harmful to sea turtles.” The importer must present the DS-2031 form -- which is completed by the U.S importer, the foreign exporter and sometimes a government official of the harvesting country -- at the U.S. port of entry and retain the form for three years. Comments on the information collection are due Jan. 8.

In a report that the State Department says highlights "the ongoing, widespread, and pervasive [state-sponsored forced labor] risks" in Xinjiang supply chains, the administration mostly reviewed developments in the last year -- such as CBP guidance on how to write summaries for applicability reviews, or non-governmental organizations' papers identifying sectors with links to Xinjiang.

Trade agreements could support the administration's goal of fighting deforestation, and so could legislation similar to the Forest Act (see 2110070050), but either path will have to contend with the difficulties of political sensitivities in targeted countries, the possibility of unintended consequences, and the logistical challenges of identifying products from deforested land and enforcing a ban on their entry to the U.S., two recent reports said.

The State Department on April 30 published its updated list of countries certified to have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that is comparable to that of the U.S., or to fish in conditions that pose no risk to sea turtles, and therefore eligible to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031.

Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez told a think tank audience Jan. 24 that he had "very productive conversations" with business and government officials in South Korea and Japan on the Inflation Reduction Act.

Trade issues that arose from content requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act are "manageable," according to Geoffrey Pyatt, the State Department’s assistant secretary for energy resources. And, he said, "they will be managed." Pyatt was asked about the trade tensions the IRA has brought at a Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast event Nov. 18.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will co-host a livestreamed Supply Chain Ministerial Forum July 19-20. Blinken will deliver opening remarks July 20, beginning at 9 a.m. EDT, followed by Raimondo. Other State and Commerce officials will make remarks on July 19. Stakeholders from industry, labor and civil society will get a chance to talk about supply chain challenges.

The State Department certified that the largest exporting and importing countries of certain precursor chemicals are complying with international rules surrounding illegal trade in drugs and other substances, a notice published Feb. 22 said. The agency said Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom have taken steps to achieve full compliance with the 1988 U.N. Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.