Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Ukraine have aligned themselves with the European Union's sanctions regime on Guinea-Bissau, the European Council said in a Sept. 8 news release. On Aug. 5, the EC dropped two individuals, Navy Cmdr. Bion Na Tchongo and Capt. Paulo Sunsai, from the sanctions regime. Both listings originally were made in 2012 (see 2108100012). The aligning countries will "ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision," the EC said.
President Joe Biden extended for one year a national emergency that authorizes sanctions against “foreign powers” that try to influence or undermine U.S. elections, the White House said Sept. 7. Although Biden said there is “no evidence” of a foreign power successfully changing the vote tabulations or outcome of a U.S. election, the potential through a history of such attempts and increasingly sophisticated communications technology “continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy” of the U.S. The emergency will be extended through Sept. 12, 2022.
President Joe Biden renewed Cuban trade sanctions authorized under the Trading With the Enemy Act for one year, until Sept. 14, 2022, a Sept. 7 White House memorandum said. The act authorizes sanctions under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations.
The United Nations Security Council on Sept. 6 removed a Qatar-related entry from its ISIL (Da’esh) and al‑Qaida Sanctions List after receiving a delisting request. The UNSC will no longer apply an asset freeze, arms embargo and travel ban against Khalifa Muhammad Turki Al-Subaiy, who was sanctioned for supporting terrorist groups financially. The United Kingdom also removed the name from its sanctions list (see 2109070013).
The annual frozen asset reporting will be due by Oct. 15, the United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions said when updating the requirements for reporting document Sept. 6. In particular, HM Treasury requests that all persons who hold or control "funds or economic resources belonging to, owned, held, or controlled by a designated person" provide it a report detailing the assets by the Oct.15 deadline, using a report template available on its website. Funds frozen in the U.K. "as well as those overseas where these funds or economic resources are subject to" U.K. financial sanctions legislation must be reported, along with the value of those assets as of Sept. 30, 2021.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Sept. 8 released its annual terrorist assets report for 2020. The report includes an overview of OFAC terrorism sanctions, their impact, enforcement measures and a summary of blocked assets.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is willing to consider ways to accelerate its emerging and foundational technology control effort but won't abandon its multilateral efforts just to publish controls more quickly, a top official told a bipartisan congressional commission on China Wednesday. Acting BIS Undersecretary Jeremy Pelter acknowledged criticism that the agency is moving too slowly on the congressionally mandated export control effort but defended the work BIS has done so far and said the agency doesn’t plan to change course.
Zimbabwe licensed 57 foreign and local entities to grow medicinal cannabis and help tap the export market for the product, the country's investment group, Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency said, Bloomberg reported. ZIDA said production has already kicked off at some of the licensed farms, and the Ministry of Lands is working with ZIDA along with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe to ensure the quality of the seeds meets regulatory requirements. Zimbabwe legalized medicinal cannabis in 2018 but has failed to ship the cannabis outside the country, Bloomberg said. “We have licensed 57 investors for medicinal cannabis production from Germany, Switzerland, Canada and as well some local players,” the agency said. “Companies have been licensed for cultivation and processing of medicinal cannabis and they own 100% of their investment.”
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation removed Khalifa Muhammad Turki Al-Subaiy from its ISIL and al-Qaida sanctions listings in a Sept. 7 notice. Al-Subaiy is a "Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator," who's provided support to senior al-Qaida leadership. He was released from prison in Qatar.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control said it decided to remove sanctions against three people and a vessel last week (see 2109020028) because “circumstances no longer warrant” their inclusion on the Specially Designated Nationals List, the agency said. The sanctions were removed from three Balkans-related entries and one vessel designated under Cuba sanctions. OFAC also changed identifying information for the entry for the vessel Sand Swan, including by revising its name to Ebano. It also updated identifying information for the vessel Tifon.