The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published four previously issued general licenses under its Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Sanctions Regulations. The text of each license is available in the Federal Register notice.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions on Aug. 23 updated two general licenses related to insolvency payments and activities for GTLK companies and the continuation of business and basic needs for telecommunications services and news media services. OFSI clarified that the GTLK license covers STLC Europe Nine Leasing Limited. Under the telecommunications license, OFSI clarified that PJSC MegaFon is a civilian telecommunication and news media services designated party.
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit on Aug. 11 issued a new general license under its Russia sanctions regime permitting the provision of certain legal advice and services. The license authorizes legal advisory services to any person or entity related to whether an "act or a proposed act complies with" sanctions, export and import controls on Russia. Parties may now provide legal advisory services surrounding the risk of "punitive measures" concerning sanctions on Russia, any Russian laws that "have as their object or effect the frustration of any laws specified [in any restrictive measures] including sanctions, export and import controls or other restrictive measures imposed by Russia"; or "any criminal law imposed by any jurisdiction."
The Bureau of Industry and Security last week expanded the scope of its nuclear-related export controls on China and Macau, saying the change was necessary to impose tighter license requirements on items that could “contribute to nuclear activities of concern.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also suspended a general license that had authorized exports of certain nuclear items for nuclear end uses in China.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week extended a general license that authorizes certain transactions related to Russian financial institutions. General License 13F, which replaced 13E, now expires 12:01 a.m. EST Nov. 8. The license -- which authorizes certain activities involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation -- was set to expire Aug. 17 (see 2305190059).
The U.S. this week announced a new set of sanctions against Belarus, targeting eight people, five entities and one aircraft with ties to President Alexander Lukashenko's regime. The designations target people and entities that have helped the government evade sanctions or are involved in the government’s “continued civil society repression” or its “complicity” in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued two new general licenses to authorize certain transactions with two of the newly sanctioned entities.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on Aug. 4 updated its reporting forms for the general licenses pertaining to the oil price cap and ban on Russian oil services. Details are available on how to submit the forms.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week issued new guidance to help companies, financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations and others understand what humanitarian activities are permitted under its Syria sanctions regulations. The seven-page guidance includes frequently asked questions OFAC said it has been receiving, covering topics related to caps on aid, crowdfunding, providing aid to areas controlled by the Syrian government, processing financial transactions, sending money to people in Syria, digital payment platforms, and exporting food, medicine and other goods to the country. It also stresses that OFAC’s authorizations allow transactions only where aid will benefit the Syrian people and not the government.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a final rule replacing its Mali Sanctions Regulations, which the agency had published in “abbreviated form” in 2020. The amended regulations, effective Aug. 7, implement a 2019 executive order that authorized sanctions against people and entities involved in human rights abuses and other sanctionable activities in the country. OFAC said it’s providing “a more comprehensive set of regulations, including additional interpretive and definitional guidance, general licenses, and other regulatory provisions.”
The U.S. last week said it isn’t renewing a June general license that authorized certain transactions with two Myanmar banks. The State Department on Aug. 4 said it plans to let the license -- which covered U.S.-sanctioned Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and their subsidiaries -- expire Aug. 5 at 12:01 am. “We will pursue enforcement actions as appropriate,” the agency said.