Although the U.S. and its allies should form a new multilateral export control regime that could be used to penalize Beijing if it invades Taiwan (see 2206100021), it remains unclear how many allies would be willing to go along with new China sanctions, panelists told a congressional commission this week. Some countries in Europe and Asia may have an interest in joining together to deter Beijing, the experts said, but imposing severe multilateral export controls against China would be more challenging than imposing similar measures against Moscow.
The U.K. added two entries, removed one and amended 18 others under its Russia sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation Aug. 2 notice said the U.K. re-added two Rosneft Oil board members -- Didier Casimiro and Zeljko Runje -- to the list, subjecting them to an asset freeze and travel ban. The Rosneft executives had been dropped from the list in July. OFSI delisted Olga Ayziman.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week suspended the export privileges of a Venezuela-based cargo airline for violating U.S. export controls. The agency said Empresa de Transporte Aereocargo del Sur, also known as Aerocargo del Sur Transportation or EMTRASUR, acquired “custody” of a U.S.-origin Boeing aircraft from Mahan Air -- a sanctioned Iranian airline (see 2205160035) -- and illegally flew that plane between Venezuela, Iran and Russia.
Canada this week announced new sanctions on 43 Russian military officials and 17 entities that are “complicit” in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The entities include organizations in Russia’s science, research, shipbuilding and engineering sectors.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new round of sanctions targeting Kremlin-connected elites and businesses that generate "substantial revenue for the Russian regime, OFAC said in an Aug. 2 news release. Thirteen individuals, 36 entities and two vessels were added to OFAC's Speacially Designated Nationals List.
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The Bureau of Industry and Security this week updated its restricted aircraft list with 25 foreign-produced planes that have violated U.S. export controls. BIS said the commercial planes -- which are the first foreign-produced aircraft added to the list -- violated the Export Administration Regulations’ de minimis threshold for U.S. components by flying into Russia or Belarus. The agency also updated various tail numbers and serial numbers for other listed planes.
The U.S. is considering new sanctions against a Middle East-based businessman and a network of companies exporting Iranian oil and disguising it as Iraqi, The Wall Street Journal reported July 31. The sanctions could target a United Arab Emirates-based businessperson and several other individuals and firms that have been conducting ship-to-ship transfers of the oil in waters between Iran and Iraq, the report said. The ships then forge documents to hide the oil's true origin and evade Western sanctions. But the U.S. may not impose the sanctions, the report said, because it’s “balancing the desire” to limit funds to Iran’s nuclear program while also battling inflation partly caused by international sanctions against Russia, one of the world’s largest oil exporters. The White House didn’t comment.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on Aug. 2 suspended the export privileges of a Venezuela-based cargo airline for violating U.S. export controls. The agency said Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo del Sur, also known as Aerocargo del Sur Transportation Company, acquired control of a U.S.-origin Boeing aircraft from Mahan Air -- Iran’s sanctioned airline -- and illegally flew that plane between Venezuela, Iran and Russia. BIS suspended the airlines’ export privileges for 180 days, barring it from participating in transactions subject to the Export Administration Regulations.
The EU General Court in a July 27 judgment rejected RT France's bid to annul sanctions levied against it in March. The restrictions bar EU operators from broadcasting and facilitating the broadcast of RT France and suspend any broadcasting license or arrangement with the media outlet. The court ruled that the European Council didn't violate the law in finding that RT France was controlled by the Russian government and issues statements backing the war in Ukraine. Further, the court dismissed the media company's challenge to the council's reasons for imposing the sanctions, the fairness of the procedures used to make the listing and the arguments that the sanctions were a disproportionate restriction on RT France's right to freedom of expression.