Companies with touchpoints to the U.S.-Mexico supply chain are facing more compliance risks amid the Trump administration's focus on sanctioning Mexican drug cartels, including measures to label them as terror groups, the Bradley law firm said in a Dec. 9 client alert.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned several people, companies and ships connected to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the country's shipping and energy sectors.
A group of Ukrainian nationals on Dec. 10 accused Intel, Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Mouser Electronics of not doing enough to ensure the semiconductor parts they make don't end up in Russian or Iranian hands (Shumylo v. Texas Instruments, Tex. # 25-09714).
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., this week criticized the Trump administration’s decision to suspend the Bureau of Industry and Security's 50% rule (see 2510300024) and allow exports of Nvidia H200 chips to China, suggesting the U.S. is sacrificing national security for improved trade relations with China.
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is seeking public comments on one information collection related to nontransfer and use certificates and another involving Part 130 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
The U.K. on Dec. 10 removed one entry from its Iraq sanctions list. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation delisted Munir Al Qubaysi, who was sanctioned in 2004.
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 131A, which replaces 131, now expires at 12:01 a.m. ET Jan. 17. The license was scheduled to expire Dec. 13 (see 2511140039).
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has sent a new final rule for interagency review that involves the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and U.S. Munitions List. The rule, sent for review Dec. 9, is titled "International Traffic in Arms Regulations: USML 2025 Supplemental Rule 2." The agency didn't release more information.
Although his bill to restrict exports of advanced AI chips didn't make it into the final FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which lawmakers unveiled this week (see 2512080048), Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said late Dec. 9 that he's not giving up on his proposal.
President Donald Trump’s decision to allow exports of more advanced AI chips to China could deal a damaging blow to U.S. efforts to convince the Dutch and Japanese to maintain and strengthen their own export controls against China, former Biden administration national security officials said.