Latest news with #export
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Russian national charged in Toronto with illegally exporting goods to Russia
Social Sharing A man who lives in Toronto and runs a Hong Kong-based business that exports microelectronic parts is facing charges for allegedly violating Canada's sanctions against Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. Anton Trofimov, 43, was arrested by the RCMP on May 5 and charged with one count of exporting a restricted good to Russia and one count of exporting a good to Russia for the purpose of manufacturing weapons, according to documents filed in the Ontario Court of Justice. The charges fall under the federal Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations introduced in 2014 that were amended to add more punishing sanctions at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. "I do think it's something that's a long time coming," said John Boscariol, a lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto who focuses on international trade and advises companies on economic sanctions and export controls. He says it is the first case prosecuted under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations that he is aware of. Trofimov also faces a charge under the Criminal Code of possessing the proceeds of property obtained by crime. The charges relate to an incident or incidents that are alleged to have occurred between July 17, 2022 and Dec. 8, 2022. CBC News contacted Trofimov's lawyer for a response but did not immediately hear back. Trofimov is a Russian national who has home addresses in Toronto and Hong Kong and is the director of Asia Pacific Links Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company that has been sanctioned by the United States and the U.K., according to Open Sanctions, a database that tracks international trade violators. It says the company is the largest supplier of microelectronic components to Russian companies since the beginning of the war and that components Asia Pacific Links Ltd. exports are used to make Orlan-10 drones, a primary weapon the Russian military uses for reconnaissance to commit airstrikes in Ukraine. "We were pleased to see that the RCMP had taken this issue seriously and had obviously found enough evidence to warrant the charges," said Ihor Michalchyshyn, executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Ottawa. "We have believed for years that there is more of this happening than is known or than has been investigated." In January 2023, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) wrote a letter to the federal ministers of foreign affairs and public safety flagging a media report about Trofimov and Asia Pacific Links Ltd., asking for the federal government to look into the matter. "The evidence that a resident of Canada is involved in the supply of technology that is being used by Russia to murder Ukrainians is of grievous concern to the UCC and to the Ukrainian Canadian community," the congress wrote. Trofimov is also listed on Open Sanctions as being affiliated with Hong Kong-based company IPS Pacific Company Limited and 10219452 Canada Inc., both of which are sanctioned by the United States. The charges Trofimov is facing have yet to be tested in court. RCMP announces prosecution Earlier this week, the RCMP announced it would hold a media conference that it said would provide details on a "complex and multijurisdictional investigation" that resulted in the "first prosecution for violations of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in Canada." However, it cancelled the news conference the afternoon before, saying it would reschedule. Thirty minutes later, Global News reported that Trofimov had been charged with violating Russian sanctions. In an email response to CBC News, a spokesperson confirmed Trofimov was arrested, but would not say if it was the same case. The spokesperson added that: "The RCMP is committed to being transparent with the public and is aiming to provide a press conference at the earliest availability to provide the public with more information on this important file." WATCH | Largest attack so far, Ukraine says: Russia unleashes massive wave of aerial attacks across Ukraine 5 days ago Duration 2:17 Russia again escalated its air attacks on Ukraine over the weekend, targeting more than 30 cities and towns with missiles and drones, including the capital as it celebrated Kyiv Day. The attacks killed at least a dozen people, some of them children, according to Ukrainian officials. Canada criticized for not acting fast enough There have been a number of Canadian cases directly and indirectly involved in the illegal export of microelectronics and other components to Russia in the past few years, but charges have not been laid in Canada in those cases. "It's very rare, unfortunately, for Canada," said Boscariol. "That's largely because Canada doesn't have the same enforcement mechanisms or laws that you see in other countries like the United States or the United Kingdom." The United States has aggressively prosecuted violations, including cases involving Canadians. "I think Canada has been under some criticism, particularly with respect to its enforcement of sanctions and especially sanctions against Russia," said Boscariol. Boscariol said these charges will send a signal to companies that manufacture goods that Russia wants that Canada takes enforcing these sanctions seriously. He said even if Canadian companies are following the regulations, they may be dealing with third party companies or middlemen that discreetly import their products on behalf of Russia. "They need to understand who they're selling their product to, who they are transferring their technology to, who stands behind the companies they deal with, who's going to be the ultimate end user of their product or technology." Michalchyshyn said the Ukrainian Canadian Congress has been putting pressure on the federal government to toughen up its enforcement of its sanctions regime. "It's one thing to put something on a list, but it's another thing to enforce it," said Michalchyshyn.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Enterprise Ireland names Jenny Melia as new CEO
Enterprise Ireland has announced the appointment of Jenny Melia as its new chief executive. Ms Melia, who has worked with the agency for 29 years, is currently an executive director of the agency, which is responsible for helping Irish companies tap export markets. In her current role, she is chief client officer for the agency. She will take up her new role in July. It is understood the recruitment process attracted huge interest across the public and private sector, both domestically and from abroad. READ MORE Kevin Sherry, who has been interim chief executive since March, will return to his previous position of executive director. Mr Sherry stepped into the breach after Leo Clancy left the organisation to take up the role of chief executive at Ei Electronics in Shannon, Co Clare. Ms Melia, who is a UCD graduate, has held a number of senior leadership roles across Enterprise Ireland, working with client companies of varying scales across all sectors, including food, industrial, and technology. She has also worked with the agency's high potential start-up division, as well as its research and development team. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said Ms Melia was 'a dedicated public servant who has spent much of her career supporting and fostering the development of the Irish enterprise base'. Enterprise Ireland chairman Michael Carey said Ms Melia had established 'deep relationships' with key stakeholders, and had played a 'pivotal role' in the group's client base now exporting and employing at record levels. Employment at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland rose to 234,454 earlier this year. The group's five-year plan, which Ms Melia will spearhead, aims to increase exports to €50 billion by 2029. The strategy, which was published earlier this year, is aimed at growing the number of jobs in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland to 275,000 over the same period. The plan, Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally, is focused on adding 1,700 new Irish-owned exporters, helping them to become more productive, sustainable and innovative. It also aims to support 1,000 new start-ups to help drive long-term sustainable growth and job creation. Among the targets are reducing carbon dioxide emissions at Enterprise Ireland-supported companies by 35 per cent by the end of 2030, and a 3 per cent annual average increase in productivity. That will be supported by a rise in investment in research and development, with Enterprise Ireland companies expected to spend €2.2 billion in 2029 compared to €1.55 billion in 2023.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Sempra's Port Arthur Phase 2 wins US approval to export LNG
WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) - Sempra's (SRE.N), opens new tab Port Arthur Phase 2 project in Texas has won U.S. approval to export liquefied natural gas to markets in Europe and Asia, the Department of Energy said on Thursday. It was the first final LNG export approval under President Donald Trump who reversed a pause on the approvals that former President Biden had ordered to study the economic and environmental impacts of the booming business.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Brazil declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination
Brazilian companies exported beef worth nearly US$13 billion last year. (AFP pic) SAO PAULO : The World Organization for Animal Health has recognised Brazil, the world's leading beef exporter, as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, a Brazilian official and a spokesperson for the intergovernmental body said. Brazilian lobbies representing some of the largest Brazilian meatpackers, including JBS, Minerva and Marfrig, said the development was historic, as it can help Brazil to win new markets. 'The new status will be announced on June 6 at a formal ceremony after a meeting between President Lula and WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran,' Brazil's chief veterinary officer Marcelo Mota told Reuters on the last day of a WOAH conference in Paris. Last year, Brazilian companies exported beef worth nearly US$13 billion to countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, which has increased imports from Brazil because of a scarcity of cattle for slaughter. The change in status can be used as a 'strategic asset' in talks to open markets with strict standards, such as Japan, Brazilian beef lobby Abiec said in a statement. It added the Philippines and Indonesia have expressed interest in importing beef offal based on the health status. 'The new status also brings new challenges and responsibilities for all actors involved,' Abiec said, alluding to maintaining the herd in adequate sanitary conditions. The long-sought change had been anticipated by Brazilian authorities, including agriculture minister Carlos Favaro. In May 2024, when Brazil announced the end of the vaccination cycle against foot-and-mouth disease, Favaro said it moved Brazil 'to the next level of the world's health elite'. At the time, Brazil's goal of being free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination by 2026 was brought forward to 2025, the ministry said. The Brazilian agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Australia's Gas Sector Scores Win in Wider Push to Ease Red Tape
Australia's natural gas sector secured a long-awaited regulatory victory with permission to extend the life of the nation's biggest export plant, but the industry is still grappling with policy uncertainty that it says hampers investment. The Woodside Energy Group Ltd. -operated North West Shelf project received provisional clearance on Wednesday to run to 2070 after a process that lasted more than six years. However, many other multibillion-dollar gas projects planned over the next decade are still waiting for approvals from state or federal government agencies.
