15 November 2019
Hepatitis A and B vaccine added to UK export ban list
On 14 November, Pharmaceutical Journal reported that the hepatitus A and B vaccine has been added to the list of medicines that cannot be parallel exported from the UK. There are now 32 medicines on the list, issued by the Department of Health and Social Care. The restrictions prevent medicine wholesalers from parallel exporting — where companies buy medicines meant for UK patients and sell them on at a higher price in another country.
https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/20207329.article
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases long-awaited regulations governing hemp
On 15 November, Wilmer Hale published a Client Alert saying that on 31 October the USDA published regulations that provide critical guidance to the hemp industry following the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised the cultivation, production and interstate sale of hemp and hemp-derived products. That Bill gave the USDA regulatory authority over hemp cultivation and required the USDA to outline a regulatory regime governing hemp. The Alert says that financial institutions and other businesses contemplating doing business with hemp producers, or manufacturers of hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol (CBD), should consider implementing due diligence procedures to ensure that hemp was produced in compliance with USDA regulations. The Alert considers details.
https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/20191115-usda-releases-interim-hemp-regulations
Norway wealth fund is shunning G4S over human rights concerns
Al Jazeera on 14 November reported that the Government Pension Fund Global – can no longer invest in the security company G4S because of “unacceptable risk” involving human rights violations to which the company contributes, the central bank has said. The fund held a 2.33% stake in G4S at the end of 2018, worth some $90 million.
Ireland: Over 180,000 businesses could face fines under money laundering rules
Just over a fifth of the 234,000 companies obliged to submit information on beneficial ownership to the Companies Office have not yet done so. If they miss the deadline of 22 November, they may be liable to a fine of up to €500,000 upon conviction on indictment.
Trump’s Embrace of Sanctions Irks Allies and Prompts Efforts to Evade Measures
An article from the New York Times on 15 November said that allies and adversaries are seeking ways to avoid President Trump’s sanctions, which critics say have become a substitute for foreign policy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/us/politics/trump-iran-sanctions.html
EU tobacco smuggling crackdown fails to convince
EU Today on 15 November reported that, despite headline-grabbing raids, some of the EU’s other initiatives designed to address the rampant smuggling crisis have proven more controversial. In particular, the system that the EU is implementing to track and trace tobacco products throughout the supply chain is in danger of falling foul of standards set by the WHO in its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the associated Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products (Protocol). The EU’s track and trace system has come under heavy criticism over the amount of influence tobacco producers have in the process.
https://eutoday.net/news/business-economy/2019/eu-tobacco-smuggling-crackdown-fails-to-convince
EU launches WTO trade dispute against unfair import duties on frozen potato fries by Colombia
A news release on 15 November advised that the EU has brought a dispute to the WTO against unlawful anti-dumping measures imposed by Colombia on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Duties applied to EU imports over a period of 2 years range from around 3% to 8%, restrict access to the Colombian market, affecting almost 85% of EU exports of frozen fries to this market, worth over €19 million a year.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_19_6221
Information for companies on the import and export of controlled drugs to and from the UK
On 15 November, the Home Office published updated information on controlled drugs – prescription drugs named in the misuse of drugs legislation.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/controlled-drugs-import-and-export-licences
UK: third generation synthetic cannabinoids update
On 15 November, Home Office Circular 009/2019 draws attention to 2 recent pieces of UK legislation and amendment of the generic definition of a group of synthetic cannabinoids (‘third generation’) under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2015. Synthetic cannabinoids are a group of compounds that mimic the effects of cannabis, which are commonly referred to as ‘Spice’ and ‘Mamba’. ‘Third generation’ synthetic cannabinoids were originally controlled through a generic definition in December 2016, following advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). However, due to the broad nature of the generic definition some compounds were unintentionally captured under this definition, inadvertently subjecting them to strict controls. Following advice from the ACMD, the generic definition of ‘third generation’ synthetic cannabinoids has been amended to reduce the scope of the generic definition and excludes compounds which were unintentionally captured.
Head of New York Medical Clinics Found Guilty in Nearly $100 Million Money Laundering and Health Care Kickback Scheme
A news release from the US DoJ on 15 November reported that Aleksandr Pikus, 44, the manager in control of multiple medical clinics in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, was found guilty today for his role in a nearly $100 million health care kickback and money laundering scheme.
US to strictly enforce AML rules on cryptocurrencies, says FinCEN chief
Reuters on 15 November reported that a statement from the Director of FinCEN says that the US government will strictly enforce a rule that requires cryptocurrency firms engaged in money service businesses such as digital asset exchanges and wallet service providers to share information about their customers.
Understanding the turmoil in Haiti
On 15 November, an article on Jurist says that Haiti has experienced many protests this year. It says that the protests have primarily focused on a myriad of economic concerns and were initially sparked by a fuel crisis within the country, but the underlying impetus of these protests is said to relate to allegations that many senior officials in the Haitian government, including President Jovenel Moïse, have been implicated in the misappropriation of $2 billion in profits from an oil deal between Venezuela and Haiti.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2019/11/understanding-the-turmoil-in-haiti/
GDPR Cloud guidance issued in Ireland
On 15 November, an article on Out-Law says that new guidance from the data protection watchdog provides “useful insight into how Ireland’s data protection regulator will assess the way in which organisations engage cloud computing providers”, A link to the guidance is also provided.
https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/gdpr-cloud-guidance-issued-in-ireland
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