The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned the Mexico-based Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization, a transnational criminal organization, and its leader, Vikrant Bhardwaj. The agency also sanctioned senior members and affiliates of the group, along with companies that have "facilitated and profited" from its criminal activities.
The Society for International Affairs this month released its Encryption Exception Handbook for Trade Professionals, covering how U.S. export controls apply to encryption items, export-control-related reporting requirements, FAQs and more.
The Commerce Department again renewed a temporary export denial order for Mahan Airways, saying that the Iranian airline continues to violate the order and the Export Administration Regulations. In its Oct. 31 notice, Commerce said Mahan, which has been on the banned list since 2008, has continued flights between Iran and Russia, China and Pakistan in violation of U.S. export controls. BIS extended the denial order for one year.
The U.S. will suspend the Bureau of Industry and Security’s 50% rule for one year in exchange for Beijing postponing its export restrictions on rare earths for one year, the two sides announced Oct. 30.
The U.K. lifted its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan effective Oct. 13, the country's Export Control Joint Unit said Oct. 29. The embargo "covered weapons, ammunition and munitions that might be used on the land border between Armenia and Azerbaijan by military, police, security forces and related government entities of either state." All export and trade license applications for Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis against the U.K.'s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, the U.K. said.
Twelve Senate Democrats urged President Donald Trump Oct. 29 not to ease U.S. restrictions on inbound or outbound investment as part of a potential trade deal with China this week.
Reps. Keith Self, R-Texas, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, introduced a bill Oct. 28 that would increase the civil penalties that may be imposed under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed sanctions Oct. 29 from a range of people and entities connected to the Western Balkans, including former Serb Republic President Milorad Dodik and other former or current government officials and entities that had been sanctioned for undermining democracy in the region. The move deleted dozens of entries from OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals List, including people and companies that OFAC previously said had provided major sources of revenue for Dodik and his family, helped Dodik and his circle evade sanctions, threatened the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian war, and more.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week that authorizes certain transactions involving the German subsidiaries of major Russian energy company Rosneft, which OFAC sanctioned earlier this month (see 2510220050). General License 129, issued Oct. 29, authorizes certain transactions with Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH, along with their majority-owned entities, through 12:01 a.m. ET April 29. OFAC also updated one FAQ about its restrictions on petroleum services involving Russia.
The Trump administration has signaled that it may not waste time in enforcing the Bureau of Industry and Security’s new 50% rule, said Gavin Proudley, head of third-party risk proposition at Dow Jones, during the International Compliance Professionals Association's fall conference this week in Texas.