China last week imposed sanctions on Canada-based organizations and others in response to Canada’s recent sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights violations (see 2412110016). The designations, taken under Beijing’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, target the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project in Canada and the Canada-Tibet Committee, along with a list of the groups’ officials, according to an unofficial translation of a notice from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. The sanctions block their property in China and prohibit them from doing business in the country.
Although Congress last week shelved a compromise to restrict outbound investment in China, two key lawmakers said they believe the legislation or something similar could become law next year.
A dispute panel ruled that Mexico's ban on genetically modified white corn, along with its intention to phase out GMO yellow corn for industrial foods and animal feed, violate the NAFTA successor agreement, because they "are not based on relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations, or on an assessment, as appropriate to the circumstances, of the risk to human, animal, or plant life or health," and Mexico didn't conduct its own documented risk assessment, or base the decree on science.
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a bill Dec. 17 to authorize the president to sanction foreign persons and vessels involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced a bill Dec. 17 to sanction foreign persons that undermine Lebanon’s democratic institutions and processes. The bill also would codify sanctions imposed under executive order 13441 against those who undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and democratic institutions. The bill, which has a wide range of other Lebanon provisions, is meant to strengthen the Middle Eastern country as it seeks to rebound from the recent war on its territory between Hezbollah and Israel. It was referred to Cardin’s committee.
A bipartisan group of six senators urged the Biden administration Dec. 17 to sanction foreign entities involved in illegally smuggling gold from Sudan to the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
The House Select Committee on China’s fentanyl policy working group unveiled three bipartisan bills Dec. 17 to counter China’s role as the world’s leading supplier of precursor chemicals for fentanyl.
Allison Aprahamian has been named the Republican press secretary for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She was previously the GOP communications director for the House Select Committee on China.
Paul Rosen, who has served as the Treasury Department’s lead official for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. since being confirmed by the Senate in 2022 (see 2205250017), left the agency earlier this month, he announced on LinkedIn.
Several lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to ease sanctions on Syria in light of the overthrow of the Assad regime by rebel forces.