The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated general licenses under its counterterrorism licensing policy, a Jan. 11 notice said. The U.K. revoked three general licenses and revoked and replaced one general license related to “legal aid.” The legal aid license allows certain agencies and bodies to make payments relating to “legal services” to sanctioned people.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Jan. 4 issued a revised general license that continues to authorize certain transactions (see 1908060048) with Venezuela's “Interim President” Juan Guaido, his staff and others operating under his government. OFAC also amended frequently asked question 679, which outlines the people and entities covered by general license No. 31A.
The United Kingdom’s Export Control Joint Unit on Dec. 24 published a general license authorizing the provision of certain “technical assistance, financial services and funds, and brokering services” for energy-related goods. The general license, which will be available 11 p.m. U.K. time Dec. 31, applies only to energy-related goods not for use in Russia. Activities related to goods for use in Russia require an individual license, the U.K. said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Dec. 23 extended a general license related to Petroleos de Venezuela and updated a frequently asked question. General License No. 5F, which replaced No. 5E (see 2010060036), authorizes certain transactions with PdVSA involving an 8.5% bond on or after July 21, 2021. OFAC also updated a Venezuela sanctions FAQ to reflect the change.
The U.S. sanctioned eight people and 10 entities for being members of or supporting the Syrian government, the Treasury Department said Dec. 22. The sanctions designate two people and 10 entities by Treasury and six people by the State Department. Treasury also issued three new frequently asked questions related to Syria.
The Commerce Department published its fall 2020 regulatory agenda for the Bureau of Industry and Security, including new mentions of rules to amend Hong Kong under the Export Administration Regulations, releases of controlled technologies to standards setting bodies and a range of new technology controls.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Dec. 7 issued two new frequently asked questions and updated four additional FAQs related to a January executive order that expanded U.S. sanctions authority against Iran (see 2001100050). The two new FAQs clarify whether transactions related to international organizations and Iran’s participation in international legal proceedings are subject to secondary sanctions.
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While the United Kingdom will continue many of the same sanctions regimes imposed by the European Union, companies should not assume the two sets of sanctions regulations will be “identical” after Brexit, the U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said. In a Dec. 1 blog post, OFSI said some of its regulations have revised wording and urged businesses to review U.K. sanctions to make sure their “activities are still compliant.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the China National Electronics Import & Export Corp. (CEIEC), a Chinese state-owned company that exports advanced technologies and technical expertise globally, OFAC said Nov. 30. The agency designated CEIEC for selling technology, software and training to Venezuelan government entities, which then use the products to bolster the Nicolas Maduro regime’s “malicious cyber efforts.”