President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination for Jessie Liu to serve as the Treasury Department’s next undersecretary for terrorism and financial crimes, according to a Feb. 11 Axios report. Liu, whose nomination was announced by the White House in December (see 1912110078), would have filled a key sanctions role within the agency after the resignation of former undersecretary Sigal Mandelker in October (see 1910020061). Liu’s Senate confirmation hearing had been scheduled for Feb. 13. The White House and the Treasury did not comment.
The coronavirus outbreak could impact China’s purchase commitments involving U.S. agricultural products under the phase one trade deal, White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said. The virus could have its biggest impact on the first year of the deal, O’Brien said, which was expected to include $40 billion in U.S. agricultural exports to China (see 2001150073). The virus may also impact what the U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary said would be a “record year” for U.S. agricultural exports (see 2001210031).
North Korea continued to violate United Nations Security Council sanctions in 2019 with the help of China, according to a Feb. 10 Reuters report. North Korea continued improving its missile programs, imported refined petroleum and exported about $370 million worth of coal using Chinese barges, Reuters said, referencing a not-yet-released UN report expected to be issued next month. Most of North Korea’s illegal coal exports were conducted through ship-to-ship transfers from North Korean vessels to Chinese barges, the report said, which delivered the coal directly to ports in China’s Hangzhou Bay and facilities along the Yangtze River.
The Congressional Research Service released a Feb. 5 report on the global oil market effects of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Russia and Venezuela. The report contains an overview of U.S. sanctions against the three countries’ oil markets, including how successfully U.S. sanctions have blocked oil trade. The CRS said U.S. sanctions have succeeded in their goals in hurting the target markets, but U.S. sanctions frameworks do not include “design elements that consider possible oil market impacts” if the sanctions are eased or lifted.
India’s Ministry of Defense amended its export control regulations, according to a notice posted on Feb. 3. The changes include an update to India’s Category 6 munitions list, simplified procedures for the export of munitions list items, and a new “end-to-end” online portal for authorizing exports. In addition, India’s Department of Defense Production will now serve as the licensing authority for Category 6 exports, replacing the Director General of Foreign Trade.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Feb. 3-7 in case you missed them.
As the final regulations for the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act take effect this week, FIRRMA’s definition for critical technologies remains unclear due to a lack of proposed rules by the Commerce Department on emerging and foundational technologies, trade lawyers said.
The United Kingdom on Feb. 10 updated its guidance on Iranian trade sanctions and its requirements for exporting certain controlled nuclear items on the U.K.'s “Trigger List.” The notices now include links to further information on exporting nuclear and dual-use goods and services through the Iran procurement channel.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will host a Defense Export Control and Compliance System webinar to cover the process for enrolling an organization’s current DTrade Super Users as DECCS Corporate Administrators, the DDTC said Feb. 7. The webinar, which will be held Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., will also cover how to invite “team members to join a company” and how to set up “License Groups,” DDTC said. The notice provides log-in information for the webinar. The registration and licensing applications for DECCS will launch Feb. 18 (see 2002040060).
Three people were convicted on fraud, money-laundering and smuggling charges after the Justice Department said they created a fake export scheme to make tens of millions of dollars, according to a Feb. 7 press release. Florida resident Johnny Grobman, along with Raoul Doekhie and Sherida Nabi of Suriname, bought U.S. goods at “deeply discounted” prices after they told U.S. manufacturers the products would be shipped overseas as part of a government procurement contract in Suriname. Instead of exporting the goods, the three people sold the items in the U.S. and split the profits, the Justice Department said.