The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a frequently asked question March 6 clarifying how humanitarian goods can be sent to Iran to assist with the coronavirus outbreak. OFAC said there are a “number of ways” humanitarian goods, including donations, can be sent to the country, adding that medical-related donations are “generally exempt” from U.S. sanctions if those donations are not being sent to the Iranian government or others blocked by the Iranian Transactions Sanctions Regulations. OFAC also said donations are not authorized for shipments to entries on the agency’s Specially Designated Nationals List. Nongovernmental organizations are authorized under General License E to export services to Iran “in support of certain not-for-profit activities designed to directly benefit the Iranian people,” OFAC said. Others interested in exporting humanitarian goods to Iran should review the ITSR and other OFAC guidance, the agency said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Nicaraguan National Police (NNP) and three police commissioners, and issued two general licenses and a new frequently asked question, according to a March 5 news release. The sanctions target the police force for its role in human rights abuses, Treasury said, as well as commissioners Juan Antonio Valle Valle, Luis Alberto Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina for their roles as senior leaders of the group.
The U.S.-Swiss joint mechanism used to export humanitarian goods to Iran is now “fully operational,” the Treasury Department said Feb. 27. Treasury also issued a general license and a series of frequently asked questions to clarify how the mechanism can be used.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company and designated its president for supporting the Nicolas Maduro-led regime in Venezuela, Treasury said Feb. 18. OFAC also issued a new general license and two new frequently asked questions that address the “significance” of the designations and clarifies the wind-down period.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Feb. 10-14 in case you missed them.
The Commerce Department renewed the temporary general license for Huawei and 114 of its non-U.S. affiliates until April 1, Commerce said in a notice. The 45-day extension is the third extension granted to Commerce since it was placed on the Entity List in May (see 1905160072). The previous extension was set to expire on Feb. 16. License applications will continue to be reviewed under a presumption of denial. The notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Feb. 18.
The Commerce Department renewed the temporary general license for Huawei and 114 of its non-U.S. affiliates until April 1, Commerce said in a notice. The 45-day extension is the third extension granted to Commerce since it was placed on the Entity List in May. The previous extension was set to expire on Feb. 16. License applications will continue to be reviewed under a presumption of denial. The notice is scheduled to publish in the Federal Register on Feb. 18.
The coronavirus outbreak could impact China’s purchase commitments involving U.S. agricultural products under the phase one trade deal, White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said. The virus could have its biggest impact on the first year of the deal, O’Brien said, which was expected to include $40 billion in U.S. agricultural exports to China (see 2001150073). The virus may also impact what the U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary said would be a “record year” for U.S. agricultural exports (see 2001210031).
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued regulations to implement its Mali sanctions regime, OFAC said in Feb. 6 notices on its website and in the Federal Register. The regulations, which take effect Feb. 7, will be supplemented with a “more comprehensive set of regulations,” which may include more guidance, general licenses and licensing policy information, OFAC said. The regulations stem from a July executive order that gave the Treasury and State departments authority to block property belonging to people involved in terrorist activities in Mali (see 1907290014).
Although the Defense Department reportedly objected to a proposed Commerce Department rule that would have further restricted foreign sales to Huawei that contain U.S. goods (see 2001240012), the administration will continue considering other ways to increase controls on shipments to Huawei, which may include a “compromise” rule, according to a Jan. 31 research report from Raymond James & Associates. Political support for the proposed rule, including by three senators in a January letter (see 2001270026), may “convince” the Defense Department to “ease its opposition in some form.” If the agency concedes, it will still likely push back on other restrictions on China's technology industry “to preserve some of the revenue stream to the U.S. industrial base,” the report said.