Despite US sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of US-made semiconductors continue to flow into Russia through circuitous routes, according to reporting in Nikkei Asia.   A large portion of these chips are channeled through small traders in Hong Kong and mainland China.

The lead sponsors of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),  have written a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary, Robert P. Silvers, expressing concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the law's enforcement.

The global transition to a green economy faces a serious challenge as the supply of critical raw materials struggles to keep pace with growing demand, warns a new policy paper from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report, Raw Materials for the Green Transition: Production, International Trade and Export Restrictions, emphasizes the need for a substantial increase in production and international trade of these materials in order to meet net zero CO2 emissions targets.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released Monday a new guidance document containing best practices for customs brokers on how to prepare for and respond to a cyber-attack. The new resource makes recommendations on how to prevent, respond to, and recover from potential cyber-attacks on customs broker data systems, from proactively putting in place plans and preventative IT controls to resuming normal business operations upon system remediation.

The United States formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, Tuesday, becoming the fourth WTO member and the first among large fishing nations to do so. The formal acceptance by the US marks a significant moment for the approaching entry into force of the landmark agreement for ocean sustainability.

In a bipartisan effort, Republicans and some Democrats in Congress are attempting to overturn President Biden's two-year suspension of new tariffs on solar panels produced in Asia. The move, backed by China trade hardliners, could stall major solar projects and hinder the United States' decarbonization objectives.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the goods and services deficit rose to $70.5 billion in February, a $1.9 billion increase from January's revised figure of $68.7 billion. This increase was primarily driven by a rise in the goods deficit and a slight increase in the services surplus.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai defended the Administration trade policy yesterday against criticisms that the White House is failing to open new markets by eschewing traditional comprehensive free trade agreements. Instead, the Administration’s focus on a worker-centered trade policy and investment in advanced manufacturing and infrastructure to create new jobs is a better fit for today’s world, Ms. Tai told the audience at the American University Washington College of Law.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor will be leading the department’s first-ever regional agribusiness trade mission to the Netherlands. Ms. …

Microsoft has agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle potential civil liability relating to exporting services or software to comprehensively sanctioned jurisdictions and Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) in violation of OFAC's Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Ukraine-/Russia-Related sanctions programs.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Genesis Market, one of the world's largest illicit marketplaces, for its part in the theft and sale of device credentials and related sensitive information.

An Estonian national has been indicted on eighteen counts related to conspiracy and other charges, including the procurement of sensitive US-made electronics for the Russian government and military. He engaged in this conduct despite being listed on the US Department of Commerce-maintained "Entity List," which designates individuals and companies barred from exporting items from the United States without a license.

China is moving ahead with plans to develop a $500 million undersea fiber-optic internet cable network, linking Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, according reporting from Reuters. This ambitious effort, spearheaded by state-owned Chinese telecom firms, is seen as a direct rival to a similar U.S.-backed project and threatens to deepen the ongoing tech war between Washington and Beijing.

The tenth EU-US Energy Council met in Brussels, attended by key representatives from the European Union and the United States. The Council serves as the primary forum for transatlantic coordination on strategic energy issues, aiming to enhance energy security, promote energy efficiency, develop technologies for net-zero emissions, and support research, innovation, and business cooperation.

International trade growth is expected to decelerate to 1.7 percent in 2023 from 2.7 percent in the last year due to multiple factors ranging from the war in Ukraine, continued high inflation, ultra-conservative monetary policies and financial market uncertainty, according to the World Trade Organization’s global trade outlook report released Wednesday.

The Treasury has  published the 2023 DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment, the first illicit finance risk assessment conducted on decentralized finance (DeFi) in the world.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Congressional Budget Justification, detailing the agency's budgetary needs and priorities for the coming year. FY 24 payroll is expected to be 23 percent higher than two years prior, while travel at $8.6 million is nearly three times that of FY 22.

 Commerce's International Trade Administration announces the U.S. Industry Program (USIP) at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria, from September 24-27, 2023. This program aims to promote U.S. civil nuclear companies' services and technologies to an international audience, including senior energy policymakers from current and emerging markets and IAEA staff.

For the next annual offset report reflecting calendar year 2022 data, U.S. firms must submit the required information on offsets agreements and transactions from calendar year 2022 to BIS by June 15, 2023.

A federal court has ordered the forfeiture of approximately $826,000 in funds connected to an attempt to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia. The high-precision jig grinder, manufactured in Connecticut, was intercepted in Riga, Latvia, before it could be shipped to Russia. The machine is subject to export restrictions due to its potential applications in nuclear proliferation and defense programs.