The U.S. issued a series of increased export controls against Russia for the poisoning of Russian political opposition leader Alexei Navalny, including tighter restrictions on license exceptions and national security-controlled goods. The restrictions, first announced earlier this month (see 2103020067) but outlined in more detail in notices released March 17, will introduce new conditions and restrictions over sensitive exports to Russia and end certain U.S. arms sales to the county, the Commerce and State departments said. The restrictions take effect March 18.
The European Union notified the United Kingdom about its breaching of provisions of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland in the withdrawal agreement signed following Britain's departure from the EU. The March 15 letter of formal notice said the U.K. has violated the terms of the Ireland and Northern Ireland provisions regarding the movement of goods and pet travel, the European Commission said in a March 16 news release. The EU gave the U.K. a month to respond to the notice. The EU is challenging the U.K.'s extension of the Brexit grace period on food imports to Northern Ireland. EC Vice President Maros Sefcovic sent a separate letter to David Frost, U.K. co-chair of the Joint Committee, calling on the U.K. to end the Brexit grace period and imploring “good faith” consultations with the Joint Committee.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a correction for its January rule that expanded export restrictions on foreign military-intelligence agencies and certain weapons-related activities (see 2101140035), it said in a notice. BIS said it revised “an incorrect instruction that would have resulted in the inadvertent deletion of two subparagraphs” of the Export Administration Regulations. The rule would have deleted language that described licensing requirements for exports of certain rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. “This was a technical error and BIS did not intend to remove the existing restrictions,” the agency said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is amending the maximum civil penalty amount for certain sanctions violations to reflect inflation adjustments for its civil monetary penalties, it said in a notice. The changes, effective March 17, increase the maximum penalties for violating the Trading With the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and the Clean Diamond Trade Act. OFAC also increased the maximum civil penalties for certain record-keeping violations and made several technical changes to “consolidate or shorten” certain citations in OFAC’s regulations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security's January rule on foreign military intelligence agencies took effect March 16 but the agency may consider revising the scope, according to a BIS spokesperson. The rule, which was issued in January under the Trump administration, was captured as part of the Biden administration’s regulatory freeze as BIS decided whether to follow through with the new export restrictions (see 2103090038). Although the restrictions took effect, an agency spokesperson said March 16 that it will continue to review feedback to determine whether the changes are “warranted.”
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for March 8-12 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Biden Admin Needs to Prioritize Tech Standards Setting, National Tech Strategy, Former Officials Say
The U.S. should form a strong global technology alliance and promote better interagency cooperation on technology policies to better compete with China and counter its dominance at standards setting bodies, former government officials said. A modern national technology strategy must start with the White House and Congress, the former officials and experts said, which should embrace some form of industrial policy and pour resources into protecting critical technologies.
Nate Bolin joined DLA Piper's Litigation and Regulatory practice as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced March 8. Bolin, who comes to the firm from Faegre Drinker, previously served as an international trade specialist at the International Trade Administration. He was recently reappointed to the Defense Trade Advisory Group for the 2020-2022 session. Bolin brings experience of advising clients on U.S. trade remedies, export controls, economic sanctions and Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters.
The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has until Dec. 31, 2021, to complete its export process of allocated quantities of Red Sanders wood, India's Director General of Foreign Trade announced in a March 11 notice. The valuable timber, endemic to southern India, is an endangered species, thus warranting its export controls. The notice grants the Andhra Pradesh governing body to the end of the year to “finalize the modalities, including allocation of quantities to their authorized entities for export of the Red Sanders wood.”
The United Nations Security Council extended the mandate of its mission in South Sudan, which includes monitoring the country's human rights violations and recommending sanctions, the UNSC said March 12. The council urged South Sudan to allow imports of humanitarian goods and cease human rights abuses, saying it will “consider all appropriate measures” against violators. It also urged UN member states to continue to “prevent the supply, sale or transfer of arms and related” items to South Sudan.