The United Kingdom on Nov. 18 issued a guidance on its performance targets for the Export Control Joint Unit’s export licensing system. The ECJU said it aims to process 70% of standard individual export license applications within 20 working days and 99% within 60 working days. The guidance also outlines how the system aims to advise exporters, how exporters can appeal license decisions and the ECJU’s standards.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs began a review of a final rule from the Bureau of Industry and Security that would clarify the scope of certain export restrictions to reflect decisions made at the June 2019 Australia Group plenary meeting. The rule would amend the scope of Export Control Classification Number 1C991, which covers vaccines, immunotoxins, medical products, and diagnostic and food testing kits. OIRA received the rule Nov. 16.
A Chinese national who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and former Raytheon Missiles and Defense engineer was sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to violating U.S. export controls, the Justice Department said Nov. 17. Wei Sun, who was charged in January (see 2002050025), violated the Arms Export Control Act when he took a company laptop with sensitive military technology data to China. His computer contained data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, including technical information on a missile guidance system. Raytheon didn’t comment.
Twenty-one United Kingdom parliamentarians urged their government to impose sanctions on Chinese entities and people responsible for human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang region, following similar moves by the U.S. The members, part of the U.K.’s Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, urged Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to sanction the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, and Chinese officials Chen Quanguo, Zhu Hailun, Sun Jinlong, Peng Jiarui, Wang Mingshan and Huo Liujun, all sanctioned by the U.S. earlier this year (see 2007090024 and 2007310028).
The U.S. sanctioned more than 50 people and entities for being part of a “key patronage network” for Iran’s supreme leader, the Treasury Department said in a Nov. 18 news release. The agency also sanctioned Iranian Minister of Intelligence and Security Mahmoud Alavi for human rights abuses. In total, Treasury sanctioned one vessel, nine people and more than 40 entities.
The U.S. and other governments need to substantially increase outreach with industry before continuing to pursue export controls over emerging technologies, experts said. Although the U.S. and other governments do some outreach work, future controls will be ineffective and difficult to comply with without more industry input, they said. “It’s [like] trying to change a tire while we’re driving down the road,” said Scott Jones, a senior adviser at the Strategic Trade Research Institute, speaking during a Nov. 17 webinar hosted by STRI. “Going forward, it fundamentally has to be much more collaborative.’
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on Nov. 16 removed sanctions from Neda Industrial Group to align with the European Union, which lifted the designation last week (see 2011160010). The U.K. said Neda Industrial Group is an “industrial automation company” that has worked for Kalaye Electric Company at the uranium fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran. Kalaye has been involved in centrifuge component production.
Russia will impose retaliatory sanctions against Germany and France for European Union designations of six Russian officials and one Russian entity in October, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Nov. 12. The ministry said it will target senior officials in Germany's and France's “executive offices” who helped lead the EU’s effort to sanction Russia for the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny (see 2010080013 and 2010150008).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control renewed a general license authorizing transactions between certain companies and Petroleos de Venezuela, OFAC said Nov. 17. General License No. 8G, which replaces No. 8F (see 2004220009), authorizes transactions between PdVSA and Chevron, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Weatherford International, with certain restrictions, through 12:01 a.m. EDT June 3, 2021. The license was scheduled to expire Dec. 1.
The U.S. sanctioned two senior leaders of al-Shabaab, a Somalia terrorist group and al-Qaida affiliate, the State Department said Nov. 17. The designations target Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, the group’s senior explosives expert, and Maalim Ayman, the leader of an al-Shabaab unit that conducts terrorist attacks in Kenya and Somalia.