Eun Young Choi, former deputy assistant attorney general in DOJ’s National Security Division, has joined Arnold & Porter. Choi will work in the firm’s practices focused on white collar defense and national security. Choi worked on a range of national security-related issues at DOJ, including sanctions and foreign investment reviews.

A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge has approved a confidential agreement to settle allegations by U.S.-based protective equipment supplier AirBoss Defense Group that non-vessel-operating common carrier FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage and ocean carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. charged unfair demurrage and detention fees, according to an FMC notice released May 15.

Lesotho formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on May 20, bringing the number of countries that have accepted the deal to 99. The WTO needs 12 more countries to accept to get to two-thirds of the membership, the threshold for the agreement to take effect.

Russia opened a World Trade Organization dispute on May 19 against the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism, arguing that the mechanism violates various provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994. Russia's request for consultations also covered the EU's scheme for greenhouse gas emissions allowances trading within the EU.

Poland seized 5 tons of Boeing commercial aircraft tires that were scheduled to illegally transit through Russia and Belarus in possible violation of EU sanctions, the country’s customs agency said this week, according to an unofficial translation. Customs authorities discovered the tires after inspecting a truck in Koroszczyn, near Poland’s border with Belarus, and found that the truck wasn’t transporting its declared car and bus tires. The sender of the tires was a company based in Spain, and the recipient was listed in Azerbaijan, the agency said. Poland is investigating the case for sanctions violations, it said, and also launched “tax criminal proceedings” for “customs fraud.”

U.S. companies that sell defense products or services to foreign countries or entities must report all offsets agreements greater than $5 million to the Bureau of Industry and Security by June 15, the agency said this week. Companies also must report information on offsets transactions completed “in performance of existing offsets commitments for which an offsets credit” of $250,000 or more “has been claimed from the foreign representative,” the notice said. The Commerce Department is asking for reports of offsets transactions that took place during calendar year 2024.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s recent decision to lift sanctions on Syria (see 2505130061), saying the country’s transitional authority might collapse in weeks or months without outside assistance, a situation that could lead to civil war.

The U.K. released two sanctions licenses on May 20 permitting parties to wind down their financial positions involving St. Petersburg Currency Exchange and non-bank credit organization Joint-Stock Company Petersburg Settlement Center and to pay insurance premiums to the State Corporation Deposit Insurance Agency. The St. Petersburg Currency Exchange license permits any party to wind down from transactions involving the exchange or the Joint-Stock Company Petersburg Settlement Center and expires on June 19, 2025. The State Corporation Deposit Insurance Agency license runs indefinitely but requires parties making such premium payments to keep accurate records of any activity taken under the license for a minimum of six years.

The U.K. on May 20 added 82 entries to its Russia sanctions regime and seven entries to its global human rights sanctions list. The additions to the Russia sanctions list include 20 individuals and 62 entities and cover dozens of financial services companies and their executives, along with Chinese entities Electronic Scientific Engineering, Innopolis, Shanghai New Chess Co. and Shanghai New Chess Int'l Logistics Co.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control is authorizing certain transactions related to the M.V. Tinos I, a vessel owned by sanctioned Iranian national and liquified petroleum gas magnate Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh (see 2504220032), while it's in the U.S.