Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., on Dec. 18 introduced a companion to a Senate bill that would impose property-blocking sanctions on Salvadoran officials for alleged human rights abuses, including imprisoning U.S. residents deported by the Trump administration without due process.

The U.S. sanctioned 229 entities under its transactional criminal organization sanctions authorities in 2025, a sharp uptick from the 10 parties it designated in 2024, risk intelligence firm Kharon said. It said most of the TCO-related designations this year came in October, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Cambodia-based Prince Group and more than 100 people and entities with ties to it. OFAC said the group runs online scams and is involved in human trafficking (see 2510140005).

Etasis, a Turkish machinery company, was removed from the Office of Foreign Asset Control's Specially Designated Nationals List earlier this month "following an extensive remediation process and a comprehensive compliance transformation," CBC Law Firm announced on LinkedIn. The Istanbul-based firm said its client strengthened sanctions compliance controls, practices and governance structures, which led to the removal. "This delisting reflects the value of sustained commitment to compliance and transparent engagement with regulators and represents a meaningful development for the adoption of sanction compliance programs for private corporations."

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on Dec. 30 released a fact sheet for its recently issued rule that finalized an exemption for defense trade among the AUKUS partners -- the U.S., Australia and the U.K. -- within the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see 2512290017). The fact sheet covers the "key elements" of the exemption, including who can be authorized users, the items on the Excluded Technology List that can't be used with the exemption, and more. DDTC also noted that its rule codified the requirement for the agency to adjudicate licenses for Australia, the U.K., and Canada within 30-45 days "when the transfer or activity cannot be undertaken under an ITAR exemption," and it authorizes "the reexport and retransfer of classified defense articles to certain dual nationals under certain circumstances."

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A U.S. federal court declined a request from a Cayman Islands energy firm to preemptively block it from being sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, saying the company failed to point to a statute that would give the court this power.

Taylor Budowich, a former White House aide in the second Trump administration, has been appointed to a two-year term on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, starting Jan. 1. Leland Miller, an expert on China’s economy, and Jonathan Stivers, a former Democratic congressional aide, were reappointed to two-year terms on the panel.

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation recently issued new FAQs about its Russia-related general license that applies to certain transactions to cover the costs of arbitration. New FAQs 177-183 address the circumstances under which companies should use the license and what payments are specifically covered. They also clarify that there needs to be a U.K. "nexus" for the payment to be affected by the country's sanctions, state that legal advice and representation in dispute resolution is included in the U.K.'s definition of “Legal Services,” and more.

Japan recently launched an investigation on whether to renew its antidumping duties on certain potassium hydroxide from South Korea and China, according to an unofficial translation of a notice from the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The orders, which exclude imports from Hong Kong and Macau, have imposed a tariff of 73.7% on mainland China and 49.5% on South Korea since 2016. They are set to expire in August, and the investigation is expected to be completed within a year. Japan said potassium hydroxide is used as a raw material for chemical fertilizers and detergents.

Thailand on Jan. 1 will end its import duty exemption for low‑value goods, which for years exempted imports worth less than about $45, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. HKTDC said the average Thai tariff rate for imports is about 10% and is expected to most significantly affect major online platforms that ship small parcels, such as Amazon and eBay.