The Council of the European Union renewed its terrorism sanctions regime for six months and added an entry to its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime, a July 30 notice said. The new designation is French national Bryan D’Ancona. The United Kingdom sanctioned D’Ancona July 31.
Iran announced sanctions on Richard Goldberg, a former aide to former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, the Iranian government said Aug. 2, according to an unofficial translation. Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called the designation a “badge of honor.” Bolton said “drawing sanctions from the corrupt Iranian regime for ‘economic terrorism’ shows the effectiveness of [Goldberg’s] work.”
The State Department expanded its sanctions regime on Iran’s metal sector (see 2001170042 and 1912170029) to capture 22 more “specific materials” used in Iran’s nuclear, military and ballistic missiles programs, the agency said July 30. Any person or company who knowingly transfers the metals to Iran may be subject to sanctions under the Irani Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act, the agency said.
The U.S. will boost restrictions on software companies connected to China, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, adding that the administration is focused on increasing penalties on businesses associated with human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. Pompeo said the companies’ use of facial recognition and artificial intelligence software -- two areas the Commerce Department is reviewing for stricter export controls (see 2007220050) -- aids the Chinese military and helps to suppress Muslim minority groups.
British Member of Parliament Liam Fox said his experience as United Kingdom trade minister qualifies him to lead the World Trade Organization as director-general. Political skills, not technical ones, are needed in Geneva, he said during a July 30 Washington International Trade Association webinar.
The United Arab Emirates revised its list of export controls to reflect changes agreed to during meetings at multilateral control bodies, including the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group, a UAE government June notice and a July 30 EU Sanctions post said. The UAE placed controls on a range of dual-use goods, the post said, including technologies for “nuclear materials, sensors, avionics, navigation systems and telecommunication systems.” The controls also apply to military and riot control vehicles, marine systems and “unmanned conversion kits.”
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for seven chemical substances subject to premanufacture notices (PMNs). As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemicals 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 chemicals will now become subject to export notification requirements. The final rule takes effect Oct. 2. The SNURs cover the following chemical substances:
The U.S. renewed a national emergency declaration authorizing sanctions against people and entities that undermine Lebanon’s democratically elected government, the White House said July 29. The national emergency due to the threat to U.S. national security posed by violence and political instability in Lebanon was extended for one year beyond the Aug. 1, 2020, expiration date.
The Council of the European Union on July 30 imposed its first sanctions against responsible parties behind cyberattacks, which it said were perpetrated by Chinese, Russian and North Korean individuals and entities. The designations target six people and three entities for attacks against the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and multinational companies in the EU. Designated are: Gao Qiang, Zhang Shilong, Alexey Valeryevich Minin, Aleksei Sergeyvich Morenets, Evgenii Mikhaylovich Serebriakov, Oleg Mikhaylovich Sotnikov, Tianjin Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Co. Ltd., Chosun Expo and the Main Centre for Special Technologies (GTsST) of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
The U.S. on July 31 sanctioned a Chinese state-controlled organization and two Chinese officials for human rights violations in Xinjiang. The sanctions target the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, former XPCC Party Secretary Sun Jinlong and XPCC Deputy Party Secretary Peng Jiarui.