Mi-Yong Kim, former chair of the Operating Committee for Export Administration at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, joined Bass Berry as counsel in its Washington, D.C.-based International Trade Practice, the firm announced Aug. 10. Kim worked at Commerce for over 18 years, nearly 10 of them as a senior attorney with the Office of Chief Counsel for Industry and Security. Kim will work on national security issues, including matters involving the Export Administration Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., the firm said.
The United Kingdom published a list of training events that will be hosted in different locations throughout the September through April 2022 time period, for firms needing to comply with British export control laws run by the Export Control Joint Unit. Training will be offered in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Plymouth and Southampton and will cost either 120 or 180 pounds. The U.K.'s Department for International Trade said the events serve companies of all sizes, a wide range of knowledge levels and varied learning paths.
The U.S., the European Union and Canada applauded Venezuela's decision to soon begin negotiations in Mexico and hope the discussions help restore the country’s democracy and lead to fair elections. The U.S. and others have heavily sanctioned Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro regime but said in an Aug. 14 statement they are willing to “review sanctions policies if the regime makes meaningful progress in the announced talks.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently withdrew a proposed rule that would have imposed export controls on certain additive manufacturing equipment used to print “energetic materials” and related software and technology. BIS sent the rule for interagency review last month and was expected to propose the equipment for control at the Wassenaar Arrangement (see 2107270004). A BIS spokesperson declined to comment.
The Swiss Federal Council implemented greater restrictions on trade with Belarus Aug. 11 in response to the continuing repression of civil society and the opposition, the council said. The new sanctions package includes restrictions on trade in monitoring equipment, dual-use goods and technologies, petroleum and potassium chloride products, and goods used for tobacco production. Further, the council placed limits on the “issuance of and trading in certain financial instruments," along with the provision of loans and insurance to the Belarusian government. The country also imposed specific financial sanctions on Belaeronavigatsia, Belarus' state-owed air navigation services provider.
The Biden administration should continue to increase Chinese trade restrictions but has done a good job pressuring the country so far, said Nazak Nikakhtar, a former acting head of the Bureau of Industry and Security during the Trump administration. Nikakhtar recently told Nikkei Asia she and others were initially “nervous” that President Joe Biden would ease some restrictions but has been pleased to see a continuation of many of the same export control measures begun under President Donald Trump.
Two lawmakers said the U.S. should impose more sanctions against Cuba for its suppression of pro-democracy protests, but other measures are needed as well.
The Environmental Protection Agency released a final rule Aug. 13 setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for three chemical substances subject to Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). 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. 15. The SNURs cover the following:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 13 sanctioned an Omani businessman and his companies for aiding an international oil smuggling network that supports Iran. The agency also designated more Cuban government officials and a military unit for human rights violations.
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network fined one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange companies $100 million for failing to maintain a compliant anti-money laundering program, which violated the Bank Secrecy Act, according to a recent penalty notice. The violations also exposed other BitMEX compliance issues, including its deficient sanctions screening.