The EU and the Philippines are resuming negotiations on a free trade agreement, the European Commission announced March 18. The commission said the goals of the FTA will be market access for goods and services, easier digital and sustainable trade, "effective sanitary and phytosanitary" procedures, sustainable food systems and intellectual property rights protections. The EU also noted the Philippines' large reserves of critical raw materials, "including nickel, copper and chromite," as a reason for resuming the FTA talks. The first round of talks are expected to be held "later this year."
The Council of the EU and the European Parliament "provisionally" agreed March 20 to renew until June 5, 2025, the suspension of import duties and quotas on goods from Ukraine for another year, the council announced. The council and parliament will next need to formally approve the agreement for the one-year extension.
Mexican national Abraham Cigarroa Cervantes, former finance director of waste management firm Stericycle's Latin American wing, was charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for helping bribe officials in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, DOJ announced March 19.
Canadian national Klaus Pflugbeil, a resident of China, was arrested March 19 for allegedly conspiring to send an unnamed U.S. electric vehicle company's trade secrets to "undercover law enforcement officers," DOJ announced. Pflugbeil allegedly conspired with Chinese national Yilong Shao to send the trade secrets. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
Russia accepted the World Trade Organization's agreement on fisheries subsidies, the WTO announced this week. Seventy-two members have accepted the deal, which is 38 shy of the two-thirds mark needed for full adoption.
The Council of the EU on March 19 approved reform efforts for the EU Court of Justice, transferring jurisdiction of various issues to the EU General Court. The council must now approve amendments to both courts' rules of procedure before the changes take effect.
The D.C. U.S. District Court on March 11 dismissed a lawsuit from a senior Democratic Republic of Congo elections official challenging his sanctions designation, saying the listing wasn't "arbitrary or capricious" and that due process laws weren't violated.
The U.K. HM Revenue & Customs announced on March 18 that businesses have until June 4 to move their export declarations to the new Customs Declaration Service platform from the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight service. After June 4, declarations no longer can be submitted via the old service. The British customs office said that the Customs Declaration Service, which has been running since 2018 for import declarations, is "more user-friendly" and has "greater functionality."
A lawsuit between the trustee of a Russian businessman and his "long term" partner will go to trial after the U.K. High Court of Justice on March 13 declined to dismiss their defense, setting up a case that could shed light on the role sanctioned parties play in property disputes.
Australia, Japan and Singapore believe a second version of a text on e-commerce reforms "could pave the way for the conclusion of the agreement by the summer," the World Trade Organization said in a press release last week.