The Trump administration extended for one year beyond May 16 the existing national emergency with respect to threats to U.S. national security posed by Yemen, the White House said in a May 13 press release, continuing a 2012 executive order that sanctioned Yemen political and military leaders that “threaten the peace, security, or stability” of that country. In the press release, the White House said certain former government of Yemen officials “continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. foreign policy and national security.
Ukraine announced a series of economic sanctions against Russia that increased duty rates on a variety of imported goods and implemented an embargo on Russian cement and plywood, according to an unofficial translation of May 15 press releases from the Ukraine government.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is looking for new members for its seven Technical Advisory Committees, the agency said in a notice. The TACs "advise the Department of Commerce on the technical parameters for export controls applicable to dual-use items (commodities, software, and technology) and on the administration of those controls." Six of the TACs are focused on the technical parameters of export controls, and the seventh is focused on the regulations and procedures, BIS said. The members are chosen by the Commerce secretary and must obtain secret-level clearances, it said. Nominations are due by June 15 and should go to Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov.
Speaking at a cryptocurrency conference in New York, Sigal Mandelker, Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said more countries are turning to digital currencies to evade U.S. sanctions. She also stressed the importance of complying with the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions programs, rejected the notion of a “one-size-fits-all” compliance program and warned that Treasury is looking into small actors -- not just large companies -- who commit violations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued its notice adding Huawei and 68 of the Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer’s affiliates to the Entity List. Effective May 16, the notice imposes a license requirement on Huawei and its listed affiliates for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, with a license review policy of presumption of denial. No license exceptions will be allowed for the listed entities. Shipments aboard a carrier to the port of export or re-export as of May 16 may proceed to their destination under their previous eligibility for a license exception or no license required. The notice is scheduled for publication May 21.
Wiggin and Dana has added David Laufman, former chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, the firm said in a press release. Laufman will co-chair the firm’s National Security Practice Group and will join their White-Collar Defense, Investigations and Corporate Compliance Practice Group and the International Trade Compliance Group, it said.
The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs recently imposed a £10,234.26 ($13,209.41) penalty on a U.K. exporter for unlicensed trading of body armor, it said in a notice to exporters. “The goods were not exported from the UK, but the transaction involved a UK national,” it said. “The Export Control Order 2008 requires a trade control licence when certain goods are exported from a country other than the UK.”
In the May 13 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for May 6-10 in case they were missed.
The Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a guidance document and an advisory on regulations and illegal activity in convertible virtual currency fields, FinCEN said in a May 9 press release. The advisory aims to help companies identify and report “suspicious activity” related to the exploitation of CVCs for money laundering and sanctions evasions, FinCEN said, including recognizing “red flags.” In the advisory, FinCEN urges companies to screen their customers and business partners against the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Specially Designated Nationals List and take “appropriate steps” to stop people in sanctioned countries from “trading in digital currency.” Businesses dealing in virtual currencies should have procedures in place to block IP addresses associated with sanctioned entities, disable accounts of holders from sanctioned countries, “install a dedicated Compliance Officer” to oversee compliance with all OFAC sanctions programs and ensure OFAC compliance training for all pertinent personnel, the advisory said.