On March 29, 2021, the Commerce Department announced that it is submitting a notice announcing a delay in the March 29, 2021 effective date of the Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis (AIM) system to the Office of the Federal Register. Commerce had published a final rule in the Federal Register on December 23, 2020, adopting the AIM system regulations and establishing an AIM website.  The AIM website consists of an online aluminum import license application platform and public AIM monitor. Under the AIM regulations, all aluminum imports into the United States will require an import license for Customs entry summary. The aluminum import license is an automatic license used for data collection purposes only. The delay means that licenses will not be required for covered aluminum product imports beginning on March 29, 2021 until June 28, 2021.

See https://www.trade.gov/aluminum

On March 26, 2021, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) posted an advance copy of a Federal Register notice terminating, as of March 26, 2021, the Section 301 investigations of Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) under consideration by Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union, and Indonesia because these jurisdictions either have not adopted or not implemented a DST during the period of investigation.

See https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/FRNDSTterminations.pdf

On 22 March 2021, the EU imposed restrictive measures on eleven individuals and four entities in relation to alleged human rights violations, including: four individuals and one company with links to the large-scale arbitrary detentions of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, etc.

See https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/03/22/eu-imposes-further-sanctions-over-serious-violations-of-human-rights-around-the-world/

On March 12, 2021, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a final rule that amends the CBP regulations to reflect an extension of import restrictions on certain archaeological and ecclesiastical ethnological material from Colombia. The restrictions, which were originally imposed by CBP Dec. 06-09 and last extended by CBP Dec. 16-05, are due to expire on March 15, 2021. The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State, has made the requisite determinations for extending the import restrictions that previously existed, and the Governments of the United States and Colombia entered into a new agreement to reflect the extension of these import restrictions. The new agreement, which entered into force on March 10, 2021, supersedes the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that became effective on March 15, 2006, and enabled the promulgation of the existing import restrictions. Accordingly, the import restrictions will remain in effect for an additional five years, and the CBP regulations are being amended to reflect this further extension until March 10, 2026. The final rule was effective on March 10, 2021.

See https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-03-12/pdf/2021-05173.pdf

On March 10, 2021, CBP issued CSMS #46561075 – GUIDANCE: Suspension of UK Duties in Section 301 Action: Enforcement of U.S. World Trade Organization (WTO) Rights in Large Civil Aircraft Dispute. The purpose of this message is to provide notice of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) determination to temporarily suspend additional duties on products of the United Kingdom (UK) under the Section 301 Large Civil Aircraft (LCA) Dispute.  The suspension is effective for imports, or warehouse withdrawals for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on March 4, 2021 and before 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on July 4, 2021.

See https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-2c67733?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2?utm_source=search.usa.gov&utm_medium=search.usa.gov&utm_term=undefined&utm_content=undefined&utm_campaign=(not%20set)&gclid=undefined&dclid=undefined&GAID=1597151793.1545933934