President Donald Trump was set to join talks at the White House with Japan April 16 “to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS,’” he said in a Truth Social post earlier in the day. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were also set to attend, he said. “Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Chinese oil refinery Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co. Ltd. on April 16 for buying more than $1 billion worth of Iranian crude oil from “shadow fleet” vessels.
The U.S. government has told Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) that they must begin obtaining licenses to export certain computing chips to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and certain other countries, the companies reported this week in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
James Martinelli, a Treasury Department official, has been named the associate director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's policy division, he announced on LinkedIn. Martinelli has worked at Treasury since 2015 in roles at both FinCEN and the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Trade adviser Sara Crossman has launched Crossman ITAR Consulting to advise on defense trade issues related to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, she announced on LinkedIn. Crossman was previously managing director for FTI Consulting.
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit issued an updated version of its open general export license authorizing certain shipments of dual-use items for the oil, gas and renewable energy industries. The agency updated the license to "permit exports to the continental shelf of coastal destinations which are themselves included as permitted destinations," it said. The license took effect April 15.
The State Department this week approved a possible $180 million military sale to Israel, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The sale includes "Eitan Powerpack Engines and related equipment," and the principal contractor will be Rolls-Royce Solutions America.
House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., reintroduced a bill April 14 that could lead to additional sanctions on China for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced a bill April 8 that would establish that Chinese companies sanctioned under one U.S. authority be automatically sanctioned under all other authorities.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., introduced a bill April 14 that would increase sanctions and export controls on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.