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.
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act for attempting to smuggle more than $200,000 worth of firearms out of the U.S., the Department of Justice announced in an April 20 news release. Samet Doyduk agreed to ship firearms parts from the U.S. to Turkey and Georgia in violation of EPA, which prohibits the export of defense articles without first obtaining a license from the State Department. The firearms parts Doyduk attempted to ship include upper receivers, barrels and magazines for different types of Glock handguns in calibers of 9 mm, .40 caliber and .357 caliber.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai held a video call with Turkey's trade minister, Ruhsar Pekcan. Pekcan apparently brought up Section 232 tariffs on Turkish steel, and according to the U.S. readout, Tai and Pekcan talked about ways to coordinate on “the global overcapacity of steel and aluminum.” Tai also discussed with Pekcan how to coordinate on digital services taxation, and opportunities to increase market access for U.S goods in Turkey and vice versa.
In a joint communication to the European Council on the state of European Union-Turkey relations, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell floated the possibility of expanding the sanctions framework on Turkey, additional sanctions listings and restrictions of the European Investment Bank, among other options to curb any Turkish breaches of international law. Other potential countermeasures against Turkey could involve targeting important sectors of the Turkish economy, including “a prohibition to supply of tourism services” and “import/export bans on certain goods and technologies” key to the energy sector. In the same communication, Borrell discussed expanding and modernizing the current EU-Turkey Customs Union as already proposed by the European Commission as a way to strengthen economic ties between the two sides.
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 released March 24 said. The agency said China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, 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.