House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar of Michigan and eight other congressional Republicans asked the Defense Department in a Dec. 18 letter to add 17 firms, including AI startup DeepSeek, to its 1260H List of Chinese military companies.

Canada sanctioned four senior Iranian officials last week for "gross and systematic human rights violations" and for playing a role in carrying out "repressive policies." The designations target Mohsen Karimi and Ahmad Kadem Seyedoshohada, who are senior officials with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Mustafa Mohebbi, former head of the State Prison Organization in Tehran; and Hassan Akharian, head of Ward 5 and solitary confinement of the Rajaei Shahr Prison.

The U.S. on Dec. 20 seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was "suspected of carrying oil subject to U.S. sanctions," DHS said in a social media post. Secretary Kristi Noem said the U.S. "will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region."

The top Democrats on the oversight committees for the Bureau of Industry and Security are asking the agency for information about the Trump administration's plan to approve Nvidia H200 chip exports to China, including license applications, supporting documents and more.

The Senate on Dec. 18 confirmed the nomination of Julie Callahan to serve as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and approved Jeffrey Goettman to be deputy USTR for Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Environment, Labor and Industrial Competitiveness.

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Laura DiBella late Dec. 18 to fill a vacancy on the Federal Maritime Commission. The Senate Commerce Committee approved DiBella’s nomination in November (see 2511190051). A second FMC nominee, Robert Harvey, awaits consideration by the committee.

The Senate late Dec. 18 confirmed the nomination of Christopher Pilkerton to be the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for investment security, overseeing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The Senate also approved Jonathan Burke to be Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing. The Senate Banking Committee approved both nominations in late September (see 2509300036).

The U.K. extended its antidumping duties on aluminum foil in rolls from China until June 6, 2029. Specifically, the duties cover aluminum foil "of a thickness of 0.007mm or more but less than 0.021mm, not backed, not further worked than rolled but whether or not embossed, in low weight rolls of a weight not exceeding 10kg." Respondent CeDo (Shanghai) will receive a 14.2% AD rate, respondent Ningbo Times Aluminum Foil Technology will receive a 15.6% rate, respondents that weren't individually investigated will receive a 14.6% rate, and the all-others rate will be 35.6%.

The U.K. on Dec. 18 issued a new Russia-related general license allowing certain wind-down transactions with Russian oil companies Russneft, Tatneft, Rusneftegaz Group, NNK-Oil and any of their subsidiaries. The license also authorizes "the closing out of any positions" involving those entities. It expires 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking public comments on an information collection related to “miscellaneous" licensing, reporting and enforcement activities associated with exports. BIS said it's revising the title of the information collection to include certain reporting activities.