The World Trade Organization's published agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's Jan. 27 meeting includes a request from China to establish a panel in its dispute against Turkey's measures on electric vehicles and other types of vehicles from China.

President Joe Biden this week removed references to Turkey from a 2019 executive order that authorizes certain sanctions against Syria. The order had partly authorized certain sanctions against people and entities associated with “recent actions by the Government of Turkey to conduct a military offensive into northeast Syria,” including former or current government officials and companies operating in certain sectors of the Turkish economy.

The U.K. government is now recommending -- but not mandating -- that companies insert “no-Russia” clauses in their contracts, saying those clauses could help shield exporters and sellers against sanctions risks. It also published guidance about the specific steps companies can take to carry out export due diligence, which goods and countries face a higher risk of Russia-related sanctions-evasion, red flags to monitor, and more.

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The Netherlands said it’s seeing an uptick in exports of sanctioned goods to countries with a history of helping Russia evade sanctions, with many of those exports being sent by smaller firms that entered the market within the last couple of years.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced a bill Dec. 20 to sanction Turkey if it doesn't renew a recently expired ceasefire between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics firms, more than $250,000 after OFAC said its non-U.S. subsidiaries violated sanctions against Iran and Cuba. The five subsidiaries allegedly provided freight brokerage or transportation services for 82 shipments to or from Iran or involving Iranian or Cuban goods, while one of the companies also did business with sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air.

The Bureau of Industry and Security again renewed temporary denial orders for two Russian airlines that it said continue to illegally operate aircraft on flights into and out of Russia. The agency renewed denial orders for Siberian Airlines and Nordwind Airlines for one year from Dec. 6, saying they continue to "act in blatant disregard for U.S. export controls and the terms of previously issued TDOs," including by operating flights between Russia and Thailand, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. BIS last renewed the orders in December 2023 (see 2312130011).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined Berlin-based Aiotec GmbH $14.55 million to settle allegations that it violated sanctions against Iran, OFAC said in a Dec. 3 enforcement notice. OFAC said the company, which sources industrial equipment for the energy sector, falsified documents and took other steps to hide that its purchase of an Australian industrial plant from a U.S. reseller would be moved to Iran.

The National Turkey Federation and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, announced this month that the U.S. has begun exporting turkey products to India thanks to a September 2023 trade agreement that called for the South Asian country to reduce tariffs on several food items, including frozen turkey (see 2309080049). The first shipment, which was provided by Virginia turkey farmers, recently left the U.S. from the Port of Virginia, the announcement says.