Canada recently announced another set of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine, targeting 34 people and one entity that are “complicit” in spreading Russian propaganda. The designations, which target “disinformation agents,” are “responsible for spreading false narratives that serve as pretexts for the Russian regime’s unjustifiable war,” Canada said.
While the U.S. should pursue a new multilateral export control framework for advanced technologies (see 2206290032), it also shouldn’t lose sight of its trade dialogue with the EU, said Frances Burwell, an Atlantic Council expert, speaking during an Oct. 18 event hosted by the Center for a New American Security. She said both the U.S. and the EU should make sure their Trade and Technology Council “remains a bilateral organization” so they can achieve “concrete” agreements for a range of technology issues.
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Puerto Rico-based Nodus International Bank violated U.S. sanctions against Venezuela when it allowed an undisclosed sanctioned person to open and operate several accounts, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said Oct. 18. The bank also violated U.S. sanctions reporting regulations because it failed to maintain accurate records of its handling of the blocked property, OFAC said. The agency issued the bank a “Finding of Violation” instead of a fine due to several mitigating factors, including the fact that Nodus voluntarily disclosed the violations.
Switzerland added 30 individuals and seven entities to its Russia sanctions regime, bringing its list in concert with the EU's, the Swiss Federal Council announced. The newly listed parties were involved in the "referendums" organized by Russia in four areas of Ukraine. Switzerland said listed parties' assets must be frozen and reported to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and the restrictions already applicable to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions also will apply to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The EU extended its sanctions regime covering ISIL/Da'esh and al-Qaida and individuals and entities associated with them for another year, until Oct. 31, 2023, the European Council announced Oct. 17. The sanctions cover 13 individuals and four entities, subjecting all to an asset freeze and the individuals also to a travel ban.
The EU added 11 individuals and four entities to its Iran sanctions regime, the European Council said in an Oct. 17 news release. The newly listed parties include those involved in the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed after her arrest for violating the country's strict veiling laws, and in the subsequent violent response to the protests in Iran. The council listed Mohammad Rostami and Hajahmad Mirzaei, key figures in Iran's Morality Police, along with Issa Zarepour, the Iranian minister of information and communications technology, for his role in shutting down the internet. They are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban. The EU also designated the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces and a number of its local chiefs for repressing the protests. The totals under the Iran sanctions regime now stand at 97 individuals and eight entities.
Apple has suspended plans to use memory chips from China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. in its products, Nikkei Asia reported Oct. 17. The report comes days after YMTC was added to the Commerce Department’s Unverified List (see 2210070006) and after the agency announced a sweeping set of China-related export controls (see 2210070049). If Commerce can’t complete an end check of YMTC within 60 days after its addition to the UVL, the Chinese company may be moved to the more restrictive Entity List.
Laboratory equipment distributor Intertech Trading Corp. was sentenced on Oct. 17 to pay a total fine of $140,000 for failing to file export information on shipments to Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire announced. Intertech was ordered to pay the maximum fine of $10,000 per count for 14 counts of failure to file the export information required.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated 14 individuals it says are part of "a network of al-Shabaab financial facilitators," according to an Oct. 17 OFAC notice. The targets have functioned as facilitators between the group and companies in Somalia, and have organized financing, money laundering, and weapons smuggling on behalf of the network, OFAC said. Other designees oversee the group's smuggling and weapons trafficking network in Yemen.