The European Union amended the criteria for its Central African Republic sanctions regime, adding involvement in "planning, directing, sponsoring or committing acts in the CAR that violate international humanitarian law, including attacks against medical personnel or humanitarian personnel" to the criteria for adding individuals and entities to the list. The move aligns the EU's CAR sanctions criteria with those of the United Nations.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Oct. 22 updated a Mexico-related entry on its Specially Designated Nationals List. The agency updated the entry for Jaime Humberto Gonzalez Higuera, who was sanctioned in September (see 2109220032) for having ties to a Mexican drug cartel.
Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., opened up a discussion on a recent report on targeted decoupling based on risk, with a focus on artificial intelligence, at a virtual event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Oct. 22. Hill said the discussion was "long overdue," and that China's direction is "squarely in conflict with the global order, balance of power in East Asia, and the continued open, market-based trading system."
The Department of Justice may issue severe penalties in the future for foreign hacking that violates U.S. export controls despite the “lenient” deferred prosecution agreement it announced in September (see 2109150031), national security lawyers said. Companies shouldn't expect that case to signal the start of a trend of minor penalties for hacking, the lawyers said, and should be especially cautious before providing cyber services to foreign governments.
The Treasury Department expects to issue more crypto-related sanctions and allocate more resources to better target the digital assets of cybercriminals, Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. Speaking during a Center for a New American Security Event event last week, Adeyemo also said the agency is placing a high priority on multilateral designations and is hoping to better understand trading partners’ concerns about U.S. secondary sanctions.
The United Kingdom adopted a second amendment to its Belarus sanctions regime, replacing the sanctions with new financial, trade and aircraft restrictions, and expanding the grounds on which a person may be designated. The amendment also reinstates a prohibition on the transfer of restricted technology that was dropped from the regime in error while correcting errors over the application of an exception for authorized conduct in the Chanel Islands, Isle of Man or British Overseas Territories.
The Bureau of Industry and Security completed an interagency review of a pre-rule that would propose new export controls on certain brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. The rule, which was sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Oct. 5 (see 2110060006) and completed Oct. 19, will seek to determine whether BCI items are emerging technologies and whether effective controls can be put in place. BIS plans to ask for public comments in the pre-rule.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is accepting questions and comments ahead of the first U.S.-European Union joint outreach event on dual-use export controls under the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council. The virtual event, scheduled for Oct. 27 (see 2110190020), will allow members of industry, academia and the public to review and discuss “principles and areas for export control cooperation” along with U.S. and EU officials. BIS is accepting comments through TTCExportControls@bis.doc.gov.
Export controls may prevent some hurdles in the investment and development of emerging quantum computing technologies, the Government Accountability Office said in an Oct. 19 report. Controls may limit some U.S. trade, prevent U.S. quantum technology companies from collaborating with other countries and deter U.S. firms from employing highly skilled foreign workers, the GAO said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is proposing to clarify and expand restrictions on using License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (see 2109130013), which it hopes will reduce exporter “confusion” and better control certain sensitive technologies, BIS said Oct. 21.