The State Department released a Federal Register notice last week to officially label the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The designation, effective Nov. 24, came after the agency said Cartel de los Soles plays a role in "terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere" and trafficking drugs into the U.S. (see 2511170003).
Australia last week sanctioned Russian-based Media Land and ML.Cloud, along with key officials Aleksandr Volosovik and Kirill Zatolokin, for operating as cybercrime service providers. "These organisations have provided their ransomware infrastructure to malicious cyber actors and cybercriminals, allowing them to conduct cyber attacks in Australia and around the world," the country said. It added that the designations were coordinated with the U.S. and the U.K., which also sanctioned the two groups last week (see 2511190012).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license Nov. 21 that authorizes certain transactions with Paks II Civil Nuclear Power Plant, a Hungary-based power plant made with certain Russian-origin technology. General License 132 allows certain transactions involving the plant and 12 Russian banks and financial institutions, including Gazprombank, Sovcombank, Russia's National Clearing Center and the Central Bank of Russia. The license has no expiration date.
The U.S. arrested two U.S. citizens and two Chinese nationals last week after accusing them of using a purported Florida real estate firm, an Alabama distributor and nearly $4 million in wire transfers to buy and illegally export “cutting edge” chips to China.
The U.S. should work with its allies to increase export restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME), components and services to limit China’s ability to make computing chips, former government officials told lawmakers Nov. 20.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Nov. 20 that he plans to introduce a bill to place subsidiaries on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List if they're owned 50% or more by companies on that list.
The European Commission on Nov. 20 announced that the EU launched the first trade and investment dialogue with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The dialogue will cover five areas, the commission said: "trade diversification, digital trade, trade and investment facilitation, supply chain resilience, and the global trade environment, including World Trade Organisation reform."
The U.K. added two new subsidiaries to the scope of a general license that authorizes certain transactions with sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil's Bulgarian subsidiaries. The license, which took effect Nov. 14 and expires Feb. 14, now covers Lukoil Aviation Bulgaria EOOD and Lukoil Bunker Bulgaria EOOD. The license previously only covered Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD and Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD.
The State Department this week approved two possible military sales to India and one to Japan, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is extending public comment periods for two information collections related to its delivery verification procedures for imports, it said in notices released Nov. 20. The agency previously requested feedback on the collections in July and is now allowing an additional 30 days for comments (see 2507250001).