China’s Commerce Ministry criticized the U.S.’ recent addition of Chinese companies to the Entity List (see 2006030032) and said it will take “all necessary measures” to defend the rights of its companies, according to an unofficial translation of a June 5 notice. China said the U.S. has “abused” its export control measures, “causing serious damage to the international economic and trade order and a serious threat to the security of the global industrial supply chain.”

An interim final rule explaining how the Department of Labor will certify how much of a vehicle's production came from workers making at least $16 an hour has been sent to the Office and Management and Budget for review, the final step before issuance. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at OMB received the rule on June 1.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will hold its semi-annual in-house seminar as a “virtual event” on July 1 due to restrictions implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19, the agency said in a June 4 notice. Attendees can register by emailing DDTCInHouseSeminars@state.gov before June 24.

The Justice Department is seeking a $20 million forfeiture from Kenneth Zong, who allegedly violated U.S. sanctions against Iran and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the agency said in a June 3 news release. Zong worked with three Iranian nationals to illegally convert their money in a South Korean bank account into U.S. dollars, the Justice Department said. To do this, Zong engaged in “fraudulent transactions” and laundered money through a “host” of shell company bank accounts “in multiple jurisdictions,” including the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. The funds were valued at about $1 billion, but about $20 million was used to try to buy a hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia, the agency said.

Five senators announced a bill to expand on sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill would sanction vessels involved in laying the pipes, those who provide the vessels and those who provide tethering services to those vessels, according to a June 4 press release. “This new bill will once and for all clarify that those involved in any way with installing pipeline for the project will face crippling and immediate American sanctions,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who introduced the bill along with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; and Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

The implementing bill for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement did not allow for merchandise processing fees to be refunded in response to a post-importation preference claim, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., has introduced a bill that would fix that. The bill was introduced June 3. The replacement agreement for NAFTA will take effect on July 1, and CBP officials have said they hope this fix can be done by that time (see 2005220050).

Brazil's top diplomat in Washington said talks with U.S. officials are advancing, and Nestor Forster said they've made “concrete progress toward achieving the vision that our presidents set at Mar-a-Lago in having a meaningful trade and economic package by the end of this year.” The package will not include any changes to quotas or tariffs, as Brazil is part of Mercosur, a customs union in South America. Forster, the chargé d'affaires at Brazil’s embassy in Washington, was speaking at an Atlantic Council online event June 4.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended 335 entries under its Syria sanctions regime, according to a June 4 notice. The amendments update identifying information for the entries, which are still subject to asset freezes, the U.K. said.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended an entry under its North Korea sanctions regime, according to a June 4 notice. The change updated identifying information for Yuk Tung Energy Pte Ltd., a commercial ship manager. The entity is still subject to an asset freeze. The United Nations Security Council sanctioned Yuk Tung Energy for conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers (see 2005120034).

The Justice Department released an updated compliance program guidance urging industry to rely more on data, learn from past compliance penalties and improve compliance training. But the guidance, issued June 1, also introduces a “subtle” shift in how prosecutors will assess compliance programs, law firms said: More of an emphasis will be placed on determining whether programs are built to adapt to new compliance risks or whether they only rely on bare minimum measures.