The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued guidance Dec. 6 on best practices for internal compliance programs involving strategic goods, technologies and sanctions. The 16-page guidance, produced in collaboration with the country’s Central Office for Import and Export, sets out responsibilities for businesses and exporters involved in the strategic technology sector. It contains practices for export screening procedures, verifying end-users and end uses, and performing audits and training. The guidance also contains European Union regulations on exporting controlled technology, including those related to cyber surveillance, human rights abuses, and “torture goods.”

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade on Dec. 5 issued updated guidance on 19 open general export licenses. The guidance documents cover OGELs for chemicals, software and technology for military goods for individual use, dual-use items for oil and gas exploration, military surplus vehicles, goods for deployed U.K. forces, military goods for demonstration, historic military goods, military goods exported for repair or replacement under warranty, information security items, low value shipments, military goods exported for exhibition, dual-use goods exported for repair or replacement under warranty, category C goods, cryptographic development, dual-use goods exported after repair or replacement under warranty, technology for dual use items, small arms and light weapons, PCBs and components for dual use items, and OGEL X.

Ukraine will extend tariffs on Russian goods for one year until Dec. 20, 2020, according to a Dec. 5 post from the European Sanctions blog. Ukraine previously expanded sanctions against Russia to ban imports of certain types of cement, plywood and lumber and to increase import tariffs on coal, gas and pharmaceutical products, the blog said.

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade updated the holiday hours for its imports and exports helpline, the agency said in a Dec. 5 notice. The helpline will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, and closed Dec. 25, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1. The helpline provides information about customs declarations and procedures, tariffs, importing and exporting goods, transporting goods to and from the European Union, and product safety regulations.

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade issued new and amended open general export licenses and open general trade control licenses to stop new registrations for certain licenses to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, according to a Dec. 5 notice. The DIT is also no longer approving export licenses to Turkey for goods that may have military uses in Syria, the notice said. The changes are in effect “until further notice.”

In the Dec. 3-4 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

France and the EU will retaliate if the U.S. goes forward with new tariffs on French goods, according to multiple reports. The proposed new U.S. tariffs are a result of a Section 301 investigation into the digital services tax in France. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the tax unfairly targets U.S. companies.

In the Nov. 25 - Dec. 2 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

Six European countries will become “shareholders” of Instex in an attempt to “facilitate legitimate trade” between Europe and Iran, according to a Nov. 29 notice from Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden hope Instex -- the European payment system designed to allow countries to trade with Iran despite U.S. sanctions (see 1907010057) -- convinces Iran to stop breaching the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (see 1908050036). “It is crucial for the Islamic Republic of Iran to return without delay to full compliance with the terms and provisions of the nuclear agreement,” Finland said. Trade lawyers have said Instex is largely symbolic and unlikely to broker significant trade in its current form (see 1907030047), while the State Department said the system has no corporate demand within the EU (see 1908260035).

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade updated its guidance on overseas business risks in Poland, according to a Nov. 27 notice. The guidance details the main “security and political risks” facing British companies when trading and doing business with Poland, including issues surrounding intellectual property, organized crime, human rights, bribery and corruption, and terrorism risks.