The Bureau of Industry and Security is proposing new unilateral export controls on four dual-use biological toxins that can be weaponized to kill people or animals, “degrade equipment” or damage the environment, the agency said in a rule released May 20. Controls would apply to the marine toxins brevetoxin, gonyautoxin, nodularin and palytoxin, BIS said, all of which can be “exploited for biological weapons purposes.” The agency said it won’t categorize the toxins or their technologies as emerging or foundational technologies, and doesn't plan to continue to differentiate between the two categories going forward.
The EU announced that 10 European countries not in the EU have aligned themselves with the EU's recent decision to add eight individuals and four entities to its North Korea sanctions regime. The countries also imposing the restrictions are North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine and Moldova, the European Council said May 19.
The EU General Court in a May 18 judgment rejected an application from Syrian businessman Amer Foz to annul the European Council actions listing and then maintaining his listing on the Syria sanctions list. Subjecting Amer Foz to sanctions due to his family business interests and association with his brother, Samer, whose sanctions listing predates Amer's, is "well founded," the court said.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released its notifications to Congress of recently proposed export licenses. The January through March notices feature arms sales to numerous countries, including South Korea, Qatar, India, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
The U.K. sanctioned three Russian airlines under its Russia sanctions regime in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Per a May 19 notice from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, JSC Rossiya Airlines, JSC Ural Airlines and PJSC Aeroflot will be subject to an asset freeze. OFSI also removed wrong information from the sanctions listings of Garantex Europe OU and Kamaz under the Russia sanctions list.
The State Department again determined Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and Cuba aren't “cooperating fully” with U.S. antiterrorism efforts, a notice released May 19 said. Under the Arms Export Control Act, no defense article or defense service may be sold or licensed for export to a foreign country that is determined not to be cooperating, unless a waiver is granted.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated Lebanese businessman and Hezbollah financier Ahmad Jalal Reda Abdallah along with five associates and eight of his companies in Lebanon and Iraq, according to a May 19 notice. The action highlighted Hezbollah’s practice of using seemingly legitimate businesses to secretly fund the terrorist group and its activities, the OFAC news release said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on May 20 suspended the export privileges of another Russian airline for violating U.S. export controls against Russia. The agency issued a 180-day temporary denial order for Rossiya Airlines, BIS said in an emailed news release, adding that the order “terminates” Rossiya’s ability to participate in transactions subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The agency also identified other aircraft that are likely violating U.S. export controls, including another plane owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
The EU extended its sanctions regime relating to cyberattacks for another three years, to May 18, 2025, the European Council said May 16. Under it, the EU can continue to impose sanctions on individuals or entities involved in cyberattacks that "cause a significant impact, and constitute an external threat to the EU or its member states." Currently, the restrictions apply to eight individuals and four entities and include an asset freeze and a travel ban.
The Bureau of Industry and Security sent a final rule for interagency review that would introduce a congressional notification requirement for certain weapons exports. The rule, sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs May 17, would require notifications for certain semiautomatic firearms exports under the Export Administration Regulations.