Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Jan. 14 that he welcomes the terrorism-related sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on three Muslim Brotherhood branches this week (see 2601130017). “These steps are critical to the national security of the United States and to protecting Americans from the jihadist terrorism promoted by the Brotherhood,” Cruz said in a statement. He reintroduced a bill in July that could lead to terrorist designations for the Muslim Brotherhood and all its branches (see 2507170001).
Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Jan. 14 welcomed the Bureau of Industry and Security’s new license review policy for certain chip exports to China (see 2601130073), saying the agency took a “good step” by requiring companies like Nvidia to prioritize U.S. customers.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission published a primer this week on China's relationship with Venezuela, including details about China's purchases of Venezuelan oil despite U.S. sanctions. The commission said China has become the "primary destination" for sanctioned Venezuelan oil, and Beijing uses sanctions evasion measures "similar to those it uses to import oil from other sanctioned countries like Iran and Russia, including transshipment, bartering, and 'shadow fleet' tankers with opaque ownership." Although the U.S. has sanctioned Chinese entities for cyber and surveillance operations in Venezuela, the report said designations against Chinese parties under Venezuela-related sanctions programs "had been exceedingly rare" until December, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted four Chinese companies and their vessels for operating in Venezuela's oil sector (see 2512310074).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week extended a Russia-related general license that authorizes certain transactions for the negotiation of and entry into contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH -- the international business of Russian energy firm Lukoil -- and related maintenance activities. General License 131B, which replaces 131A, now expires at 12:01 a.m. ET Feb. 28. The license was scheduled to expire Jan. 17.
The Treasury Department plans to release a request for information “soon” to get feedback on how the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. can ensure its new fast-track process for certain deals is as efficient as possible, CFIUS’s overseer told a congressional panel Jan. 14.
The U.S. is planning to impose a 25% tariff on imports of certain advanced chips that are then exported elsewhere, the White House said Jan. 14.
Kevin Kurland, who left the Bureau of Industry and Security late last year after nearly three decades with the agency (see 2511190045), has joined Beacon Global Strategies as a senior adviser. Kurland most recently served as the acting BIS principal deputy assistant secretary for strategic trade and technology security.
The EU is considering more sanctions against Iran in response to the government's violent crackdown against protesters in recent days, said Kaja Kallas, the European Commission's foreign affairs chief and president of the Foreign Affairs Council. Speaking in Berlin before a meeting with the German defense minister, Kallas said the Iranian regime has a "track record of brutally suppressing protests," calling it "unacceptable." While the EU "already has sweeping sanctions in place" against people in Iran for human rights abuses, "we are discussing on putting additional sanctions," she said.
Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized China on Jan. 12 for banning dual-use exports to Japanese military users because it disliked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., introduced a bill Jan. 9 aimed at bolstering American AI exports amid growing foreign competition.