The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added to its sanctions regimes for Russia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Dec. 9. OFSI designated Anto Joseph for making funds available in ways that threaten Ukraine, and sanctioned Alain Goetz for contributing to "serious human rights violations" in the DRC.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned the Houthi National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs and its leader, Abdulqader Al-Murtadha, for operating prisons in Yemen on behalf of the Houthis, a group labeled by the U.S. as a terrorist organization (see 2401170025). OFAC also sanctioned Fawaz al-Akhras for providing “financial, material, or technological support for” Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly left the country after his regime was overthrown by rebels over the weekend. OFAC said the sanctions mark International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

The U.S. sanctioned 28 people and businesses connected to a global gold smuggling and money laundering network based in Zimbabwe, including Kamlesh Mansukhlal Damji Pattni, who leads the network and has bribed government officials, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said. OFAC said the sanctions mark International Anti-Corruption Day and were coordinated with the U.K. and the FBI.

The U.S. and Latvian governments last week gathered officials from the U.K., Canada, the EU and Ukraine to discuss export controls and sanctions in Latvia, including how those measures are affecting Russia, the Latvian government said in a news release.

The U.S. should continue working with allies to restrict sales of advanced semiconductors and semiconductor tools to China after the Biden administration leaves next month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. But she also said she hopes the Trump administration prioritizes tools other than export controls and tariffs to counter China, and she warned against a potential decoupling of the two economies.

The Bureau of Industry and Security on Dec. 11 will add eight companies to the Entity List for “enabling human rights violations,” including by supplying sensitive technology or military items to foreign governments that are subject to strict license requirements. The entities are located in Myanmar, China and Russia, the agency said in a final rule released Dec. 10. They will be subject to license requirements for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, and licenses will be reviewed under a presumption of denial.

Daniel Munzert, a former enforcement official with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, has joined Citibank as its senior vice president of sanctions regulatory compliance, he announced last week on LinkedIn. Munzert joined OFAC in 2021 and left for Citibank in November.

Jordan opened a safeguard investigation on safety and protective footwear, the World Trade Organization said. Jordan notified the WTO Committee on Safeguards that it opened the proceeding on Dec. 1, and that interested parties should identify themselves by Dec. 22 and provide written comments by Jan. 14.

EU negotiators on Dec. 3 agreed to delay the bloc’s upcoming deforestation reporting requirements by one year to help companies better prepare for the new due diligence rules (see 2410040022). The law was scheduled to take effect for most large companies Dec. 30 and for small companies June 30, but a provisional agreement struck between members of the European Parliament and Council could extend those dates to Dec. 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, respectively.

McKinsey and Co. Africa, a subsidiary of consulting giant McKinsey, will pay over $122 million to settle an investigation that found the company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by paying bribes to South African government officials from 2012 to 2016, DOJ announced. A former McKinsey senior partner, Vikas Sagar, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme.