The United Kingdom plans to announce the locations of its 10 “freeports” before the end of the year and launch them in 2021, the UK said Feb. 10. The ports, which will reduce certain customs and tariff-related costs in a bid to boost trade, will open “across the UK” and help Britain's “post-Brexit growth,” the U.K. said. The U.K. previously named several candidates for the ports, including Teesport, the Port of Tyne, Milford Haven and London Gateway (see 1908020025). The UK also opened a consultation to “inform the government’s freeports policy,” which outlines benefits offered by the ports, including “tariff flexibility, customs facilitations and tax measures.”

The United Kingdom on Feb. 10 updated its guidance on Iranian trade sanctions and its requirements for exporting certain controlled nuclear items on the U.K.'s “Trigger List.” The notices now include links to further information on exporting nuclear and dual-use goods and services through the Iran procurement channel.

In the Feb. 5-6 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade released a guidance Feb. 6 on its trade remedies investigations process after the U.K. leaves the European Union. The U.K. clarified that its Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) will investigate new cases of dumped and subsidized imports once the U.K. leaves the EU Customs Union, which will allow the U.K. to issue trade remedies to “protect UK industries.” During the Brexit transition period, TRID will perform “transition reviews into current EU trade remedy measures which are relevant to UK industries,” the guidance says. The guidance provides more details on that process, how the UK will assess injuries to UK industries and how it will consider “possible causes of injury.”

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade launched a public consultation to inform the U.K.’s new independent “global tariff policy” after Brexit, the DIT said in a Feb. 6 notice. The U.K. said it is developing a new Most Favored Nation tariff schedule to take effect Jan. 2, 2021, to ensure U.K. companies “compete on fair terms with the rest of the world.” The consultation will open online for four weeks until March 5, the U.K. said, adding that it is seeking views on “simplifying and tailoring” tariffs to benefit UK companies, removing tariffs on “key inputs to production” to reduce costs for manufacturers, and removing tariffs where the U.K. has “zero or limited domestic production.”

The United Kingdom’s Export Control Joint Unit amended its inspection process for the use of open licenses and electronic standard individual export licenses, the ECJU said in a Feb. 6 notice. As part of the change, companies will be informed of the ”exact date” that their records will be inspected, the ECJU said, adding that it will no longer offer “alternative dates.” The U.K. said it will still give companies between four and six weeks' notice before the inspection date.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade updated its guidance on trade agreements with non-European Union countries to clarify rules of origin requirements during the Brexit transition period, according to a Feb. 4 notice. The U.K. will still be “covered” by EU-third country trade agreements until the U.K. formally leaves the EU on Jan. 1, 2021, the notice said, meaning that U.K. content will continue to count toward rules of origin requirements in EU trade agreements. The U.K. is advising traders to contact their local trade office if they experience problems trading with non-EU countries due to confusion stemming from the rules of origin requirements. It is unclear whether some countries will honor U.K. goods as originating from the EU and may instead prefer to make their own determinations (see 2001220051).

The European Union imposed a countrywide import ban on Ukrainian poultry products after a January bird flu outbreak in central Ukraine, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released Feb. 5. Ukrainian officials consider the ban to be “excessive and unjustified,” the USDA said, particularly because the EU is “one of the largest” importers of Ukrainian “premium poultry cuts.” The ban will force Ukrainian producers and exporters to redirect a “significant quantity of poultry” to Asian and African markets through this month, the report said.

In its first comments at the World Trade Organization as a separate member from the European Union, the United Kingdom said it wants to prioritize improving trade in services within the WTO for least-developed countries, calling for “streamlined” procedures for qualifications, licensing and increased transparency, according to a Feb. 4 press release. The U.K.’s ambassador to the WTO said the U.K. wants to address service trade barriers, adding that firms “often lose valuable time applying and waiting for licenses from host regulators.” In a Feb. 1 notice to the WTO, the U.K. signaled it hopes to improve trading conditions for developing countries and will continue to be a “strong supporter” of the WTO (see 2002030013).

In the Jan. 31 - Feb. 3 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted: