The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration rolled out new web portal meant to connect the NNSA “nonproliferation efforts to U.S. nuclear technology exporters,” the agency said Aug. 17. The portal, called U.S. Nuclear Nexus, includes a page dedicated to export control compliance. The site “will help industry better understand complex U.S. export control regulations for civilian nuclear technology,” the NNSA said.
The Environmental Protection Agency is setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act for 56 chemical substances subject to Premanufacture Notices, it said in an Aug. 18 final rule. As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemical substances for an activity designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. Importers of chemicals subject to these SNURs will need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements, and exporters of these chemical substances will now become subject to export notification requirements. The final rule takes effect Oct. 18. The SNURs cover the following:
It remains unclear how strictly the U.S. will enforce sanctions against the Taliban to try to cut the group off from the U.S. financial system as it overtakes Afghanistan, Brian O’Toole, a former Treasury Department sanctions official, told NPR’s Marketplace Aug. 17. “If the Taliban come in and are, quote-unquote, kind of reasonable upfront -- they’re not stoning people in soccer stadiums right away kind of thing -- you could see a scenario in which the U.S. is not as interested in enforcing sanctions,” said O’Toole, a sanctions expert at the Atlantic Council. He said the U.S. may be waiting to first see how the Taliban operates. More concerning actions, including human rights abuses, could lead to strict enforcement of U.S. sanctions. The White House has declined to answer specific questions about how it will impose sanctions against Afghanistan and the Taliban, but National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said sanctions are being considered (see 2108170075).
Several U.S. and multinational companies recently disclosed potential U.S. sanctions violations or updated previous disclosures. The cases involve a destruction of evidence in a sanctions investigation, potentially illegal transactions with Iran, a gaming software company and others.
The Biden administration recently announced a series of new sanctions measures against Russia that take aim at the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Aleksey Navalny and officials connected to the country’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Jorge Nobrega, chief executive of Achabal Technologies, was charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and commit money laundering, according to an Aug. 16 complaint filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Nobrega was charged in particular with violating the sanctions on Venezuela by repairing Venezuelan Air Force combat aircraft without an authorization (United States of America v. Jorge Nobrega, S.D. Fla. #21-03590).
The Environmental Protection Agency is setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 23 chemical substances subject to Premanufacture Notices (PMNs), it said in a final rule Aug. 18. As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemical substances for an activity designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. Importers of chemicals subject to these SNURs will need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements, and exporters of these chemical substances will now become subject to export notification requirements. The final rule takes effect Oct. 18. The SNURs cover the following:
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls recent settlement with Keysight Technologies shows the agency is growing more aggressive with certain compliance requirements and violations involving software and technical data, Miller & Chevalier said Aug. 18. At the same time, DDTC continues to reward cooperation and other mitigating factors with significant penalty reductions as it tries to incentivize companies to voluntarily disclose violations and work with the agency during its investigation.
China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress, on Aug. 20 will discuss extending an anti-sanctions law to Hong Kong, local Chinese media outlet TVB News quoted NPC Standing Committee delegate Tam Yiu-chung as saying, Reuters reported. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she has no timeline for the implementation of the mainland Chinese law meant to retaliate against foreign sanctions.
The United Nations Security Council on Aug. 16 called on member countries to allow “unhindered” humanitarian access to Afghanistan amid the countrywide takeover by the Taliban. Countries should allow “immediate” access for “humanitarian actors providing assistance, including across conflict lines, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches all those in need,” the UNSC said. U.S. sanctions regulations include carve-outs and licenses for some humanitarian activities, although groups have criticized the sanctions for hindering their work (see 2105260047). The European Union recently expanded its guidance for humanitarian efforts in countries subject to sanctions (see 2108170031).