Readout of Deputy Secretary Don Graves meeting with EU Commission on export controls

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Brussels, Belgium to continue the Commerce Department’s close coordination with the European Union on the imposition of enhanced export controls on Russia. The Deputy Secretary, joined by U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Mark Gitenstein and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod, held dialogues on export control enforcement with Bjoern Seibert, Head of Cabinet for the President of the European Commission, and Director General for Trade, Sabine Weyand. The delegations discussed how they could strengthen export enforcement coordination, building on the excellent cooperation under the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, to ensure that the enhanced Russia controls are enforced effectively. The objectives would be to talk regularly on export enforcement implementation, expand information sharing on diversion networks, and support investigations. The delegations agreed to hold follow-on talks in Brussels next week on how to take this initiative forward.