The EU believes China has suspended its recently announced rare earth export controls for all countries, not just the U.S., but the bloc is still gathering information, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters in Brussels Nov. 3.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Nov. 4 that he doesn't know when lawmakers will take up his Nigeria sanctions bill but that he "would like to see it moved sooner rather than later." Cruz said he’s unaware of any opposition to his legislation, which aims to address religious persecution, including the alleged mass killing of Christians.
Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Jefferson Shreve, R-Ind., both members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the Treasury Department Nov. 3 to designate the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, citing the group’s ties to Hamas.
A bipartisan group of six senators said Oct. 30 that the U.S. should consider designating Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Foreign Terrorist Organization or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist following the militia’s mass killing of civilians in the city of El Fasher.
The Democratic minority on the House Select Committee on China said in a new report Nov. 4 that the U.S. and its allies should strengthen their export controls to prevent China from using their technology for repression.
The U.K. on Nov. 3 amended one entry under its Iran sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated the listing for Ali Aliakbar Ansari to add the name "Ali." Ansari was sanctioned for providing economic resources to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week that authorizes certain transactions with three aircraft that had been blocked under the Belarus Sanctions Regulations. The license, which has no expiration date, authorizes transactions with:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a network of people and entities for their ties to North Korean money laundering, sanctions evasion and information technology worker fraud. The agency said the network has helped North Korea generate revenue for its weapons programs.
The U.K.’s new trade sanctions enforcement agency warned freight forwarders and carriers this week about their obligation to comply with Russia-related restrictions, saying they risk criminal and civil penalties if they’re not doing enough due diligence to make sure every consignment they deal with complies with U.K. law.
The U.S. should ensure its export controls are not so restrictive that they harm the ability of American computing chip manufacturers to compete internationally, Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said this week.