While nearly all the rest of the developed world was placing sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, China issued notice it would be lifting restrictions on Russian exports of wheat to China. China's General Administration of Customs announced the move Feb. 23, according to an unofficial translation. The customs administration also laid out a series of monitoring and quarantine requirements for any wheat shipments. The two countries initially agreed to the trade following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing in early February, but it was announced only hours after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the South China Morning Post reported Feb. 24. Russia is the world's largest exporter of wheat and the move could help alleviate its economic concerns following a large wave of sanctions from many of the globe's largest economies. "China will continue to carry out normal trade cooperation with Russia and Ukraine in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Feb. 24, according to a transcript in English of a regular press conference.
House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee told U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai that she needs to provide "a detailed analysis" of how China did or did not live up to the phase one trade deal. "We have great confidence in your abilities to address the many challenges China presents to the United States and other market economies, and we hope you will expand detailed communication on these matters so that Congress and the Administration can be partners in developing effective U.S. responses," they wrote Feb. 24.
The U.S., EU and the U.K. sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in response to Russia's assault on Ukraine. The U.S. will set new sanctions on those two and "members of the Russian National Security Team," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing Jan. 25. The decision was reached following a phone call with EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen. The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation imposed asset freezes on the two Russian leaders, in a Feb. 25 notice; the restrictions did not include a travel ban. The U.K. began rolling out its second wave of sanctions Feb. 24, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising to designate more than 100 individuals and entities (see 2202240070). High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said at a news conference Feb. 25 that the EU would add Putin and Lavrov to its sanctions regime, adding to the bloc's earlier announcement laying out broad sectoral sanctions and restrictions on a large list of individuals and entities.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control placed five additional Russian officials, 44 entities and five vessels on sanctions lists. The move follows OFAC's Directive 1A issued Feb. 22.
The Senate should move forward with the confirmation of Alan Estevez, who was nominated last summer to lead the Bureau of Industry and Security, said Kevin Wolf, former assistant secretary for export administration, in a LinkedIn post. "BIS is advancing significant national security objectives in novel and complex ways," said Wolf, who is now a lawyer at Akin Gump. "It needs Alan Estevez in as its Under Secretary now. Seriously. Whatever issues are holding up his confirmation need to be set aside today so that he can get to work at BIS." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has voiced some reservations over Estevez's stance on gun export controls (see 2201050023 and 2110050029).
The Office of Foreign Asset Control on Feb. 28 issued a new directive that blocks certain transactions with the Central Bank of Russia, the Russian National Wealth Fund, and the Russian Ministry of Finance. OFAC also designated the Russian Direct Investment Fund -- which the agency called a "key" sovereign wealth fund -- along with its CEO, Kirill Dmitriev. OFAC also designated RDIF's management company and one of the managing company’s subsidiaries. By blocking these entities, OFAC said it is "terminating yet another route through which Russia has benefitted from access to the U.S. financial system."
U.S. export controls on quantum computing and communication technologies would slow scientific progress and fail to target the most “defense-relevant applications,” the nonprofit Rand Corp. said in a recent report. The think tank said the U.S. should “not impose export controls on quantum computers or quantum communications systems at this time” or risk stifling American quantum innovation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 24 announced a second set of "severe" sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a report from CBC News. Mirroring U.S. sanctions imposed the same day, the sanctions target major Russian financial institutions and members of the country's elite, the report said. The new round of sanctions follows those issued the previous day by Canada, as well as sanctions announced by Australia and Japan on Feb. 23.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will look for ways to improve its administrative enforcement efforts and the voluntary self-disclosure program in the coming year, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said while speaking to the Silverado Policy Accelerator on Feb. 24. Under the administrative enforcement review, BIS will consider how often it uses its no admit/no deny resolutions to help deterrence and accountability, he said. The bureau will also review how it "calibrates" penalties and will explore additional or expanded penalties for items that harm national security even if the transaction value is low. It will also review how often, and in what cases, administrative resolutions should continue in parallel with criminal resolutions by DOJ.
The EU and the U.K. announced another round of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Building off a first wave of restrictions imposed on Russia following troop movement into the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, they either added or announced a series of individuals and entities that will be subject to greater restrictions. The EU said it plans to impose grand sectoral sanctions against Russia, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the U.K. will impose asset freezes on over 100 new entities and individuals.