The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned China-based Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., which it said is involved in the manufacture and sale of synthetic opioids to Americans. The agency also sanctioned Huang Xiaojun and Huang Zhanpeng, two representatives of Guangzhou Tengyue who were "directly involved in coordinating the shipments" of those illegal drugs and dangerous chemicals to the U.S.

Barloworld, a South Africa-based industrial equipment company, said it may have violated U.S. export controls and has disclosed the issue to the Bureau of Industry and Security.

A Texas-based freight forwarder will pay the Office of Foreign Assets Control more than $1.6 million to settle allegations that it violated sanctions against Venezuela and Iran. OFAC said company employees bypassed its sanctions compliance program procedures by working with a designated Venezuelan airline and an Iran-linked aircraft to transport goods from Mexico to a customer in Argentina.

Kemppi, a Finland-based welding equipment manufacturer, has launched an internal investigation after millions of dollars’ worth of the company’s products were reportedly sold to Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

The Bureau of Industry and Security's decision to remove the China-based factories of Samsung and SK hynix from its Validated End-User List is "selfish" and will hurt global semiconductor supply chains, China's Ministry of Commerce said last week, according to an unofficial translation.

An Estonian national was extradited to the U.S. on Aug. 28 to face charges of conspiracy to violate U.S. export controls by sourcing U.S.-made electronics for use by the Russian government and military, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced. Andrey Shevlyakov faces 18 total counts related to the international procurement scheme.

With Congress returning from its August recess, Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged the Senate on Sept. 2 to take up her bill to impose additional sanctions on China for providing dual-use items to Russia’s war against Ukraine (see 2508020001). Shaheen also reiterated her call for the Senate to vote on a bill by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., that would impose a wide range of sanctions on Russia and its supporters if Moscow fails to make peace.

The Census Bureau is creating new License Code C78 in the Automated Export System for filers to use when shipping goods under License Exception Syria Peace and Prosperity, which the Bureau of Industry and Security announced last week (see 2508280029). The license exception authorizes exports and reexports to Syria of all items designated under the Export Administration Regulations as EAR99.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a network of shipping companies and vessels for smuggling and selling Iranian oil by disguising it as Iraqi oil. The network blends the two oils and markets the product internationally as “solely of Iraqi origin to avoid sanctions,” OFAC said.

Dariel Fernandez, Miami-Dade County’s tax collector, said Sept. 1 that he plans to shut down businesses that illegally engage in commerce with Cuba.