French prosecutors are investigating four fashion retailers accused of covering up “crimes against humanity” in China's Xinjiang region, Reuters reported July 2. The companies are Uniqlo France, Zara owner Inditex, France's SMCP and Skechers, a judicial source told Reuters. France's Central Office to Fight Crimes against Humanity, Genocide and War Crimes is conducting the inquiry. The companies said they undertake serious due diligence to ensure that there is no forced labor in their supply chains, Reuters reported.

The United Kingdom lifted antidumping duties on welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel from Belarus or Russia, a July 1 notice said. Certain antidumping duties originating from an AD quota on certain welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel from Belarus, China and Russia along with a tariff rate quota on steel goods will be suspended under the notice. The announcement includes a list of affected companies from Russia that will see their antidumping rate drop to zero. All affected tube and pipe exporters from Belarus will have their antidumping rate drop from 38.1% to 13.1%.

The United Kingdom suspended an antidumping duty hike implemented on corrosion-resistant steel goods from China, a July 1 notice said. The move reverted the effects of two import duties -- a general antidumping duty on the steel goods from China and a tariff rate quota on steel goods. If corrosion-resistant steel goods from China are subject to the additional import duties under the TRQ for the goods category covering metallic-coated sheet, the additional duty is now suspended. The notice contains a list of exporters to which the tariff suspension applies.

The United Kingdom suspended antidumping duties on hot-rolled flat iron, non-alloy, or other alloy steel goods from Iran or Russia, a July 1 notice said. Certain antidumping duties stemming from a general AD order on certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy from Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine and under a tariff-rate quota on steel goods will now no longer be enforced. The notice contains a list of the affected companies, the majority of which will see their antidumping rate for the subject merchandise drop to zero.

The European Union imposed a definitive antidumping duty and will start “definitively collecting” the provisional duty on certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel from Turkey, the European Commission said in a July 6 implementing regulation. The provisional duty was implemented Jan. 7, after which the European Commission heard comments from concerned parties. Duties are imposed on six Turkish companies in amounts ranging from 4.7% to 7.3%. All other Turkish importers will be subject to a 7.3% dumping margin.

The European Commission amended its common rules for imports from certain third countries relating to volumes of tariff rate quotas in a July 5 implementing regulation. Country-specific and residual TRQs were incorrectly published in the original regulation, prompting the fix from the commission, the notice said. The notice lists TRQ volumes of metallic-coated sheets from Korea, India, the United Kingdom, China, India and other countries.

The European Commission began a review of existing antidumping duties on silicon from China, a June 28 notice in the Official Journal of the European Union said. Having received a request for review following the publication of the expiration notice for the duties, the commission will look to see if an extension of the duties is necessary to further protect the European silicon industry. The period under investigation is July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

The United Kingdom suspended antidumping duties on cold-rolled flat steel goods from Russia, a July 1 notice said. The suspended duties originate from a general antidumping duty order on certain cold-rolled flat steel products from China and Russia and a tariff rate quota on steel goods. The notice includes a list of affected exporters and their now-lowered rates. All other exporters of the subject merchandise from Russia will see their antidumping duty rates fall from 36.1% to 11.1%.

North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway aligned themselves with the European Union's further sanctions on Belarus, the European Council announced in a July 6 news release. The council expanded its Belarus sanctions regime June 21 to include 78 individuals and seven entities.

The Swiss Federal Council imposed sanctions on eight individuals and four entities for their roles in the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said in a July 1 news release. The listings follow the third round of Myanmar sanctions imposed by the European Union and subject the parties to an asset freeze and travel ban. The individuals, all military or government officials, are Soe Htut, Tun Tun Naung, Win Shein, Khin Maung Yi, Tin Aung San, Thida Oo, Aung Lin Tun and Zaw Min Tun, a State Secretariat notice said. The entities are Myanma Gems Enterprise, Myanma Timber Enterprise, Forest Products Joint Venture and Myanmar War Veterans Organization.