Cooley this month published data about its experience advising on non-notified deals before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024, outlining which investor nationalities, industry sectors and transaction sizes most often received CFIUS scrutiny.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control released another video May 23 in its ongoing effort to provide guidance on U.S. sanctions programs and rules. The latest episode provides an overview of how to contact the OFAC Compliance Hotline to submit questions about U.S. sanctions compliance and OFAC resources. The agency's other videos offer a tutorial on using its sanctions list search tool (see 2401190016), an introduction to U.S. sanctions programs (see 2307280070), and an introduction to blocking and non-blocking sanctions (see 2308280047).
The State Department last week notified Congress that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024 and isn't in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. As a result, the U.S. plans to impose new sanctions against Sudan, including restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and on access to U.S. government lines of credit, following a 15-day Congressional notification period. The sanctions will take effect on the date of publication of a notice in the Federal Register, which is expected around June 6.
The U.K. should change its foreign investment screening process to better support British technology firms and shouldn't hurry to agree to increased U.S. restrictions against China, the U.K. Parliament was told last week.
The Treasury Department issued a new general license last week that it said gives “immediate” sanctions relief to Syria, “effectively lifting sanctions” on the country in the aftermath of last year’s fall of the Bashar Assad regime.
Greg Pollock, a former senior Pentagon official, recently left the Defense Department after nearly two decades working on national security issues related to China, Russia and more, he announced May 21 on LinkedIn. Pollock was most recently the acting deputy assistant secretary of defense. He also served stints as the department's policy director for Russia and arms control policy and as an analyst in the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The EU launched an antidumping duty investigation May 22 on polyethylene terephthalate from Vietnam. The European Commission said it may impose antidumping duties on the covered goods if it finds the EU PET industry is injured by dumped imports. The investigation will run for up to 14 months, though provisional duties may be imposed within eight months. The EU said it currently has antidumping duties on PET plastic from China and countervailing duties on the same goods from India.
The European Parliament this week approved a European Commission proposal to raise tariffs on certain agricultural products, including nitrogen-based fertilizers, from Russia and Belarus by 50% (see 2501290037). The new duty, if approved by EU foreign ministers, would apply to Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods that haven't yet been subject to "extra customs duties," Parliament said. Along with certain fertilizers, the tariffs would apply to sugar, vinegar, flour and animal feed.
The State Department approved a possible $180 million military sale to Poland, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said May 21. The sale includes "GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs," and the principal contractor will be Boeing.
A bill that would sanction Russia and its supporters if Moscow rejects peace talks with Ukraine had gained the support of about 80 senators, or four-fifths of the Senate, as of May 22.