The U.S. sanctioned Ashraf al-Qizani, the leader of an Islamic State group affiliate in Tunisia, for terrorism, the State Department said Dec. 11. The announcement designated al-Qizani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to his “numerous attacks” in Tunisia.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two senior Iranian intelligence officials involved in the 2007 abduction of a U.S. law enforcement agent, OFAC said Dec. 14. The sanctions target Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, officials at Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, for the abduction of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent at the time who was working as a private investigator.

The Treasury Department said it has not found evidence of any foreign banks facilitating “significant transactions” for the Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the U.S. in August (see 2008070039), the agency said in a report released to Congress Dec. 11. Treasury said it will “continue to monitor for any activity that meets these criteria” and will “engage foreign governments” and financial institutions “to ensure they understand the reporting requirements and sanctions risks under” the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (see 2007140068), the report said. The agency said it has had “constructive conversations” with “foreign counterparts across the globe” about complying with U.S. sanctions and has asked other governments to “communicate these requirements and risks to financial institutions within their respective jurisdictions.”

The U.S. announced sanctions on Turkey for buying Russian missile defense systems, saying Dec. 14 the purchases provide “substantial funds” to Russia’s defense sector and harm U.S. national security. The sanctions target Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and several SSB officials, including SSB President Ismail Demir, Vice President Faruk Yigit, and air defense officials Serhat Gencoglu and Mustafa Alper Deniz.

The European Union expects to publish a range of export control guidelines in 2021 and will likely use the year to decide whether it will restrict exports of certain facial recognition technologies, EU officials said. Those guidelines and decisions will be released as part of the EU’s new dual-use export control regime (see 2011100021), which officials expect to take effect this coming summer.

The U.S. and the European Union will hold export control discussions this week to share information on emerging technology restrictions and countries and companies of concern, according to the European Commission and the U.S. Commerce Department. The discussions, scheduled for Dec. 15 and 16, will include senior officials from Commerce and the State Department and high-level trade officers from the commission and EU member states, a commission spokesperson said in a Dec. 14 email. Others participating include export control and technology experts from EU member states, a representative from the German presidency of the Council of the EU and the commission’s chief trade enforcement officer.

Ambassadors to the World Trade Organization said they're hoping the new Joe Biden administration will line up behind Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for director-general, and will get serious about finding a way to resuscitate the Appellate Body, though they acknowledged the latter may have to wait for the COVID-19 crisis in America to subside. Ambassadors from Canada, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland spoke on a webinar Dec. 11 hosted by the Washington International Trade Association.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers recently issued new standards to counter illegal imports and make importing into Kenya more efficient, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 11. The standard operating procedures guide will serve as a “reference” for all Kenyan government bodies involved in “ensuring efficiency and accountability in the inspection, verification and clearance” of imports, and is relevant for freight consolidators, clearing agents, importers and trade groups.

The Egyptian Cabinet recently approved a draft bill that exempts importers from paying value-added taxes on shipping costs for certain “key commodities,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Dec. 9. The bill is expected to remove taxes paid on freight costs for “grains, legumes, table salt and spices,” FAS said, ensuring a “sustainable supply of commodities to the Egyptian market without any disruptions.”

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa recently launched the African Trade Exchange (ATEX), a trade platform designed to facilitate trade when the African Continental Free Trade Area begins in 2021 (see 2004290042), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Dec. 7. ATEX will be a business-to-business “e‑commerce platform,” the report said, and will give companies access to “high quality products from verified African suppliers in an efficient way.” ATEX buyers and sellers will also be able to use the platform to search for new supply chain partners, review “specifications and pricing” for products, and make payments and arrange “logistical services.”