The United Kingdom's sanctions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo will enter into force on Oct. 7 under its 2021 regulations, with amendments to align with and enable implementation of a United Nations resolution adopted June 29 that extends the financial and travel sanctions outlined in the original 2008 resolution to apply to individuals and entities designated for "planning, directing, sponsoring or participating in attacks against medical personnel or humanitarian personnel."
Six Republicans introduced a bill last week that would impose sanctions on foreign individuals who knowingly provide assistance to the Taliban, and require the U.S. government to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not go to “foreign terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.” The text of the bill was published Sept. 20.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, recently offered several amendments to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, including provisions relating to export control statistics, the Entity List and sanctions.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a large virtual currency exchange for helping to facilitate transactions related to illegal ransomware attacks, and updated an advisory on the risks associated with facilitating ransomware payments. The Sept. 21 designation targets SUEX OTC, S.R.O., which has processed transactions involving illegal proceeds from at least eight ransomware variants, OFAC said. The agency said that more than 40% of SUEX’s “known transaction history is associated with illicit actors.”
Several U.S. national security agencies are split on whether to add Chinese smartphone maker Honor Device to the Entity List, The Washington Post reported Sept. 19. While the Commerce and State departments said Honor shouldn't be added to the list, the Defense and Energy departments last week supported adding the company. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said Honor should be blacklisted because Huawei, which formerly owned Honor as its smartphone company, is using it to evade U.S. export restrictions. “This isn't a close call,” Carr said in a Sept. 20 tweet. The issue has been “appealed to the political-appointee level” at each of the agencies, the report said, and could be escalated to the Cabinet level and eventually President Joe Biden in the case of a deadlock.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for Sept. 13-17 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Two nominees to lead the Bureau of Industry and Security said they will prioritize stopping illegal technology exports to China and are willing to bypass multilateral controls on certain sensitive technologies if unilateral restrictions are warranted. But Alan Estevez, President Joe Biden’s nominee for BIS undersecretary, and Thea Kendler, the nominee for assistant secretary for export administration, also stressed that export control cooperation with allies is crucial and committed to working to convince trade partners to adopt more controls.
Christopher Stagg joined Miller & Chevalier as counsel in its International Department, the firm announced. Stagg formerly served as a senior policy adviser with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls at the State Department, where he worked as the deputy lead in rewriting the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations, the firm said. This work also entailed revising the U.S. Munitions List and Commerce Control List. At his own firm, Stagg cultivated experience on export controls, economic sanctions and Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. matters, the firm said.
The European Union General Court dismissed the applications of 10 Democratic Republic of the Congo nationals to drop their 2019 sanctions relistings, in 10 opinions Sept. 15. The European Council's reasoning for the relistings was sufficient to allow the DRC nationals to challenge the validity of the acts, the court held. The EC also guaranteed their right to be heard by taking the applicants' observations and providing specific explanations, the court said. Even if the applicants were no longer DRC officials, the court said that the EC established enough of a link between the human rights situation in the DRC and the applicants.The orders concerned the applications of Jean-Claude Kazembe Musonda, Alex Kande Mupompa, Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo, Kalev Mutondo, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, Eric Ruhorimbere, Gabriel Amisi Kumba, Evariste Boshab, John Numbi and Celestin Kanyama.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will soon publish an amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to reflect new U.S. sanctions against Ethiopia (see 2109170036), the agency said Sept. 17. DDTC said it’s implementing a policy of denial for exports of defense articles and defense services “to or for the armed forces, police, intelligence, or other internal security forces” of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and will soon make the change official in the ITAR.