Secretary of State Antony Blinken will use his upcoming meeting with Chinese officials to outline U.S. concerns over Chinese human rights abuses and illegal trade practices, Blinken told lawmakers March 10. The March 18 meeting in Alaska, which was announced March 10, will include National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese foreign affairs officials Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi. “This is an important opportunity for us to lay out in very frank terms the many concerns that we have with Beijing's actions and behavior that are challenging the security, prosperity and the values of the United States and our partners and allies,” Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The aerospace and satellite industry urged the Commerce Department to maintain staffing levels at the Office of Space Commerce until a new director is named, citing the office’s key role in aiding the U.S. aerospace industry. The office creates a “‘one-stop’ Commerce entry point” for connecting industry to other agency activities that directly affect aerospace companies, including export controls, the Aerospace Industry Association, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and the Satellite Industry Association said in a March 9 letter. The groups specifically highlighted the importance of the office’s work to connect industry to Commerce efforts to place controls on “imagery analysis software” and promote trade. “[T]he space industry requires a strong U.S. Office of Space Commerce to drive continued growth here and abroad for U.S. space industry,” the groups said. Commerce didn’t comment.
The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced a bill that would allow Congress to approve or block efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to lift sanctions against Iran. The bill -- introduced March 9 by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, with support from 20 other Republican committee members -- is the House’s companion legislation to a similar bill introduced by Senate Republicans last month (see 2102260025). McCaul said the administration has “already started making concessions in an apparent attempt to start negotiations with Iran” and the bill would provide “oversight” for any sanctions relief offered by the U.S. The administration hasn’t lifted any sanctions against Iran and expects a challenging road back to the Iranian nuclear deal or a new agreement (see 2101280043).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the adult children of the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military and their six companies, the agency said March 10. The designations target Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon, who have “directly benefitted from their father’s position and malign influence.” OFAC also sanctioned the companies A&M Mahar Company Limited, Sky One Construction Company Limited, The Yangon Restaurant, The Yangon Gallery, Everfit Company Limited and Seventh Sense Company Limited.
Don Graves, President Joe Biden’s nominee for deputy commerce secretary, said export restrictions shouldn’t be removed from Huawei and that the Commerce Department should do more to promote U.S. leadership at international technology standards setting bodies. Graves also said he is open to imposing more export controls and other restrictions against China for human rights violations.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its sanctions list for Somalia and Sudan, adding three individuals to the Somali sanctions and removing one individual from the Sudanese restrictions. In a March 2 notice, OFSI subjected Somali nationals Abukar Ali Adan, Maalim Ayman and Mahad Karate each to an asset freeze for “engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia.” In a March 8 notice, the U.K. also removed Adam Shareif (see 2103080009) from its Sudan sanctions list.
The U.S. revoked a Treasury Department license issued in January to mining magnate Dan Gertler and reimposed sanctions on the Israeli businessman, the State Department said March 8. The license had been issued to Gertler during the last days of the Trump administration, effectively exempting Gertler from certain U.S. sanctions. The State Department said the license is “inconsistent with America’s strong foreign policy interests in combatting corruption around the world,” adding that Gertler has “engaged in extensive public corruption” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The U.S. plans to review its sanctions regime against Venezuela after determining that unilateral measures over the last four years haven’t been effective and haven’t driven Nicolas Maduro from power, a senior administration official told reporters on a March 8 call. The official said the U.S. is hoping to garner more multilateral support for an international approach to Venezuela but added that it is in “no rush to lift sanctions.” The comments come amid a Treasury Department review of all U.S. sanctions regimes (see 2102230047).
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The Bureau of Industry and Security has placed its foreign military intelligence rule (see 2101140035) on hold and may not implement the rule’s changes later this month, a BIS official said. Although the rule was published in the Federal Register in January, BIS included it in the Biden administration’s regulatory freeze because it wasn’t scheduled to take effect until March 16.