The Bureau of Industry and Security this week charged a Chinese company with violating U.S. export controls when it helped Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation sell controlled items to Iran. The company, Far East Cable, served as a “cutout” between ZTE and several Iranian telecommunications companies, BIS said, helping ZTE “conceal and obfuscate” its business dealings in Iran from U.S. investigators. In total, BIS said Far East Cable committed 18 violations of the Export Administration Regulations.
A U.N. aviation organization last week called on Russia to “immediately cease its infractions of international aviation rules,” including its attempts to acquire aircraft parts in violation of western sanctions. The European Commission applauded the statement from the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization, which informed its 193 member states about “Russia's blatant non-respect of crucial international aviation law.” EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said the ICAO’s comments point "to another example of Russia's blatant disregard of international rules and standards, putting the lives of people at risk, including Russian citizens.” The EU and others have placed export restrictions on a range of items and services in the aviation sector, and the U.S. has issued several temporary denial orders against Russian airlines for violating U.S. export controls (see 2208020018).
China imposed sanctions on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for her visit to Taiwan last week, China’s foreign affairs ministry said Aug. 5. China said Pelosi’s visit “constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs,” but didn’t specify what the sanctions entail. The measures also apply to Pelosi’s immediate family members, China said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published three previously issued general licenses in the Federal Register related to Syria, Iran and Venezuela (see 2206100030). The licenses, which expire June 17, 2023, authorize certain transactions related to goods and services for preventing, diagnosing or combating COVID-19.
The EU last week sanctioned two additional people associated with Russia’s war in Ukraine. The designations target Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych, a Russia supporter and former president of Ukraine, and Oleksandr Viktorovych Yanukovych, his son.
President Joe Biden last week extended a national emergency that authorizes certain export control regulations, the White House said. Biden renewed the emergency for one year beyond Aug. 17.
Vietnam sanctioned M.C.V. Solution for importing goods infringing on protected trademark rights, the state-run CustomsNews reported Aug. 4. The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department fined the company just over $21,000 for importing circuit boards infringing on Samsung trademark rights. The counterfeit Samsung goods were imported through express delivery shipments. The circuit boards were worth around $14,000.
Switzerland banned buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia, it announced in an Aug. 3 sanctions move. The Swiss Federal Council also imposed an asset freeze on Sberbank and carved out two new exceptions from the sanctions regime over agricultural products and oil supplies to third countries. Previously, Switzerland added 54 individuals and nine entities to its Russia sanctions list on July 28. With this week's decision, Switzerland said it's now in line with the EU's sanctions regime.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, urged the Biden administration this week to back away from nuclear deal negotiations with Iran (see 2207120033), saying the U.S. won’t get a “remotely adequate nuclear deal” out of the process. “For months, Iran has deliberately wasted time by keeping the door open for talks while its nuclear program charges forward,” McCaul said in an Aug. 4 statement. “The administration needs to wake up to this farce and pull the plug.”
Although the U.S. and its allies should form a new multilateral export control regime that could be used to penalize Beijing if it invades Taiwan (see 2206100021), it remains unclear how many allies would be willing to go along with new China sanctions, panelists told a congressional commission this week. Some countries in Europe and Asia may have an interest in joining together to deter Beijing, the experts said, but imposing severe multilateral export controls against China would be more challenging than imposing similar measures against Moscow.