A potential Indirect Source Rule that the South Coast Air Quality Management District is considering, which would affect the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, is necessary to avoid greater disruption from federal action should port emissions remain unaddressed, the district said in an email Sept. 1. It also said it is working with stakeholders to "come up with a proposed regulation that is feasible and can improve air quality without impacting cargo flows."
The U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority released a review of the country's sanctions systems on Sept. 6, finding firms that carried out risk exposure assessment ahead of Russia's invasion used proper practices. The review also found many firms needing better governance and oversight, and said certain companies were "too reliant on third-party" sanctions compliance tools and didn't align their practices with U.K. sanctions rules. The review spotted various backlogs regarding sanctions screening alerts and said some firms didn't have "adequate internal expertise," the report said.
The U.K. added 11 Russians to its sanctions regime related to cyberattacks against the country. In a Sept. 7 notice, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation imposed restrictions against the individuals for contributing to ransomware attacks that threaten the U.K. and "cause economic loss to, or prejudice the commercial interests of, those companies affected by the activity."
The EU General Court on Sept. 6 upheld the European Council's sanctions listing of Belarusian businessman Mikail Gutseriev, finding that the European Council correctly interpreted the listing criteria to include nonfinancial types of support for the Belarus regime. Gutseriev, sanctioned in 2021, argued that the listing criteria under the Belarus sanctions regime should include only financial support, given its language saying parties shall be listed due to their "benefit from or support for" the Belarus government.
A Torres Trade Law guide to maintaining registrations with the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is available on legal intelligence site JD Supra. It outlines how companies involved with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations should be updating their DDTC registrations when certain changes occur within the registered company, such as a change of control, a merger or a change in leadership. Even if no changes have occurred within the company, the law firm noted, ITAR registrations must be renewed annually.
President Joe Biden on Sept. 5 nominated Erik Woodhouse to lead the State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination. Woodhouse currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary for counter threat finance and sanctions in the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, where he oversees the Office of Sanctions Policy and Implementation. The Senate in 2022 confirmed James O’Brien to lead the sanctions coordination office, which had gone without a leader since President Donald Trump disbanded it in 2017 (see 2204150049). The White House declined to comment about whether O'Brien is still leading the office and directed all questions to the State Department. A State Department spokesperson didn't immediately comment.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, a leader with the Rapid Support Forces in South Sudan, for his involvement in a militia group that has committed human rights abuses in the country. OFAC earlier this year sanctioned people and companies connected to the country’s ongoing military conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (see 2306010064). Since the conflict started in April, OFAC said both sides have “failed to implement a ceasefire” and “have been credibly accused of extensive human rights abuses in Darfur and elsewhere.”
The State Department believes Australia and the U.K. will soon update their export control regimes so both can benefit from pending U.S. legislation that could expedite defense exports to those countries, said Jessica Lewis, who leads the agency’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. But at least one lawmaker said the U.S. should not be requiring the U.K. and Australia to revise their export control laws, adding that the request risks impeding the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) agreement.
Switzerland issued an updated sanctions guidance Sept. 1. The updated guidance "contains a general section on the sanction measures applicable in Switzerland" in addition to specific information about Ukraine, the country said.
The U.K. dropped five entries from its Mali sanctions regime in a Sept. 1 notice. The Office of Financial Sanctions removed Ahmed Ag Albachar, Houka Houka Ag Alhousseini, Mahri Sidi Amar Ben Daha, Mohamed Ben Ahmed Mahri and Mohamed Ould Mataly, all of whom are members of Mali's political class.