The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published a previously issued Russia sanctions determination and general licenses. One notice includes a previously issued Russia-related sector determination published under April 15, 2021, executive order, and the others include previously issued general licenses under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations.
The U.S. needs to reform the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to allow it to more easily share controlled technologies with the U.K., Australia and other close allies (see 2302170022), experts said last week. If Congress and the administration don’t move quickly to relax ITAR restrictions, the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership will fail, they said, and U.S. military capabilities could fall behind China and other countries.
The Census Bureau and CBP this week announced new reporting requirements for exporters sending certain chip-related items to China under a temporary general license or “authorization letter” from the Bureau of Industry and Security. Electronic filers of export information must now use one of Census’ two new license codes in the Automated Export System when using a BIS authorization that exempts them from certain licensing requirements under the agency’s sweeping China chip controls released in October (see 2210070049).
Although many of the U.S. sanctions against Russia have been in place for months, companies are still dealing with a range of compliance challenges, Crowell & Moring trade lawyers said this week, especially involving Russia-related service restrictions. They also said they don’t expect the pace of sanctions to slow anytime soon, especially as the U.S. ramps up enforcement efforts this year.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published previously issued general licenses under its Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations. The full text of each license appears in the notice.
The U.S. this week sanctioned six entities and 20 vessels that have helped transport or sell Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products. The designations target companies based in China, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, including China-based Global Marine Ship Management. Co. and Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping. Co., the State Department said. The 20 designated ships have ties to Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping, Vietnam-based Golden Lotus Oil Gas and Real Estate Joint Stock Company, and UAE-based Swedish Management Co.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published two sets of previously issued general licenses under its Venezuela sanctions regime. The full text of each license appears in the respective notice.
Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi, a citizen of Lebanon and Belgium, and Talal Chahine, a Lebanese citizen, were charged as part of a conspiracy to launder money, cause U.S. citizens to conduct illegal transactions with a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and conduct illegal transactions with a sanctioned terrorist, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Feb. 24. Each charge carries the possible punishment of up to 20 years in prison.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week issued new guidance for providing humanitarian aid to sanctioned jurisdictions. The six-page fact sheet describes recently issued or revised general licenses available to international organizations, nongovernmental organizations and others, including what types of activities are allowed and what types of transactions banks can authorize.
The U.S. announced a new, sweeping set of export controls and sanctions last week to further hobble Russia on the one-year anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, including additions to the Entity List, an expansion of industry sector restrictions on both Russia and Belarus, new export controls against Iran to address its drone transfers to Russia, and new financial sanctions against more than 100 people and entities. Many of the measures, which were announced alongside similar actions by U.S. G-7 allies, aim to “cut off the Russian defense industrial base and military from even low-technology consumer items,” the Bureau of Industry and Security said.