On 30 June 2020, the Official Journal published a notice announcing the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, signed in Hanoi on 30 June 2019, will enter into force on 1 August 2020.
On June 24, 2020, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice that announces the USTR’s determination n to grant an additional exclusion request, as specified in the Annex to this notice, and corrects technical errors in previously announced exclusions. The product exclusions will apply as of September 24, 2018, the effective date of the $200 billion action, and extend to August 7, 2020. The amendments announced in this notice are retroactive to the date that the original exclusions were published.
See https://www.govinfo.gov/
On June 23, 2020, US Customs and Border Protection issued CSMS #43134617 – GUIDANCE: Fifth Round of Product Exclusions from China Section 301 Tranche 4A – $300B.
See https://content.govdelivery.
On June 15, 2020, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published an interim final rule (“Interim Final Rule”) effective on June 18, 2020 to authorize the limited release of certain items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to Huawei and its affiliates listed on the BIS Entity List (“Huawei Listed Entities”) in the context of international efforts to develop technical standards for 5G and other new technologies. In a statement, the Commerce Department explained the change will “ensure Huawei’s placement on the Entity List in May 2019 does not prevent American companies from contributing to important standards-developing activities despite Huawei’s pervasive participation in standards-development organizations.” BIS is seeking comments on the Interim Final Rule, which must be submitted on or before August 17, 2020.
See https://www.govinfo.gov/
On June 11 2020, the President issued a new Executive Order, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Associated with the International Criminal Court.”
See https://www.treasury.gov/
On June 10, 2020, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a request for comments regarding certain temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions to several provisions of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) recently issued in order to ensure continuity of operations within the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and among entities registered with DDTC pursuant to the ITAR during the current SARS-COV2 public health emergency. Comments are due by June 25, 2020.
See https://www.govinfo.gov/
On June 8, 2020, the US Trade Representative (USTR) posted an advance copy of a notice to be published in the Federal Register that announces the USTR’s determination to grant certain exclusion requests for Tranche 4. As set out in the Annex, the exclusions are reflected in two ten-digit HTSUS subheadings and 32 specially prepared product descriptions, which together respond to 55 separate exclusion requests. In accordance with the October 24, 2019, notice (See 84 FR 57144), the exclusions are available for any product that meets the description in the Annex, regardless of whether the importer filed an exclusion request. Further, the scope of each exclusion is governed by the scope of the ten-digit HTSUS subheading as described in the Annex, and not by the product descriptions set out in any particular request for exclusion.
On June 8, 2020, the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice that announces the USTR’s determination to make a technical amendment to one previously granted exclusion: U.S. note 20(q)(131) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is modified by deleting “each valued over $20 but not over $35” and inserting “each valued not over $35” in lieu thereof. The amendment is retroactive to the date of publication of the original exclusion. and does not extend the period for the original exclusion.
See https://www.govinfo.gov/
On June 5 2020, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing new Frequently Asked Questions related to Executive Order 13902, “Imposing Sanctions With Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran.”
See https://www.treasury.gov/
On June 3, 2020, the US Department of Transportation notified several Chinese airlines that “responding to the failure of the Government of the People’s Republic of China (China) to permit U.S. carriers to exercise the full extent of their bilateral right to conduct scheduled passenger air services to and from China, is suspending the scheduled passenger operations of all Chinese carriers to and from the United States. This order will become effective on June 16, 2020.“