The European Commission kicked off an antidumping proceeding on imports of corrosion resistant steels from Russia and Turkey, the EC announced in a June 24 notice. In particular, the products under investigation are “flat-rolled products of iron or alloy steel or non-alloy steel; plated or coated by hot dip galvanisation with zinc and/or aluminium and/or magnesium, whether or not alloyed with silicon; chemically passivated; with or without any additional surface treatment such as oiling or sealing; containing by weight: not more than 0,5% of carbon, not more than 1,1% of aluminium, not more than 0,12% of niobium, not more than 0,17% of titanium and not more than 0,15% of vanadium; presented in coils, cut-to-length sheets and narrow strips,” according to the notice. Products of stainless steel, silicon-electrical steel, high-speed steel, steel not further worked than hot-rolled or cold-rolled are exempt from the investigation. To submit information to be considered, relevant parties must make their submissions within 70 days from the publication of the antidumping initiation notice.

The United Nations Security Council on June 17 added one entry to its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions List. The entry is Mohammad Ali al Habbo, a Turkey-based “facilitator” who provides financial services to al-Qaida. The United Kingdom added the entry to its Sanctions List June 18 (see 2106180006).

Mohammad Ali al Habbo has been added to the United Kingdom's sanctions regime on ISIL and al-Qaida, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said in a June 18 financial sanctions notice. Al Habbo is a Syrian national based in Turkey who has been identified as providing financial services to ISIL.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated people and entities involved in a smuggling network that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and the Houthis in Yemen, OFAC said June 10. The agency sanctioned seven people, four entities and one vessel, including Iran-based Houthi financier Sa’id al-Jamal. The network helps generate tens of millions of dollars from the sale of petroleum and other commodities, OFAC said.

The European Union is dropping the anti-subsidy investigation into imports of certain hot-rolled flat products of iron and non-alloy or other alloy steel originating in Turkey, the bloc announced in a May 27 decision. The original petitioner, the European Steel Association, withdrew its complaint against the products. The investigation, which began June 12, 2020, is ending without any anti-subsidy measures, the EU said, noting the probe “did not bring to light any considerations showing that a continuation of the case would be in the Union interest.”

The European Union extended countervailing duties on rainbow trout from Turkey after conducting an expiry review, the bloc announced in a May 25 regulatory statement. The CV duties will continue to be imposed on rainbow trout imports (1) live weighing 1, 2 kilograms or less each or (2) fresh, chilled, frozen and/or smoked: in the form of whole fish whether gilled, whether gutted, weighing 1, 2 kg or less each, or with heads off, whether gilled, whether gutted, weighing 1 kg or less each, or in the form of fillets weighing 400 grams or less. Duty rates range from 1.5% to 9.5%, with the highest rate applying to companies not listed.

President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the State Department’s assistant secretary for Western hemisphere affairs vowed to aggressively sanction human rights violators and said more can be done to stop sanctions evasion tactics. The nominee, Brian Nichols, also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee May 19 that the agency should coordinate closely with the Treasury Department and voiced support for some of the agency’s Cuba restrictions.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and one entity for helping the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group access financial systems in the Middle East, a May 17 news release said. The sanctions target Alaa Khanfurah for transferring funds to ISIS through his Turkey-based money service business, Idris Ali Awad al-Fay for using the sanctioned Turkey-based Al-Fay Company to help distribute currency for ISIS, and Ibrahim Ali Awad al-Fay for owning the Al-Fay Co.

Turkey recently removed its antidumping duty on U.S. cotton imports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in an April 29 report. The 3% duty, removed last month, was imposed in 2016. USDA said U.S. cotton exporters will see a “slight increase” in market share in Turkey.

A German software company agreed to pay more than $8 million in fines after it admitted to violating U.S. export controls and sanctions against Iran, the Justice, Treasury and Commerce departments announced April 29. The company, SAP SE, came to settlement agreements with all three agencies after it voluntarily disclosed the violations, which included illegal exports and reexports of U.S.-origin software.