The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added one entry to its Specially Designated Nationals List, removed 13 others and amended two additional entries, according to a March 17 notice. OFAC also deleted four entries from its Foreign Sanctions Evaders List. The agency added Ali Abdullah Ayoub, Syria’s defense minister, to its SDN List, while deleting several entries for entities based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cyprus, Switzerland and Syria. Treasury did not immediately release more information on the sanctions.
The U.S. extradited an Iranian citizen from Georgia to face charges related to sanctions violations, money laundering and illegal exports to Iran, the Justice Department said in a March 17 press release. Merdad Ansari allegedly violated the Iranian Transactions Regulations by attempting to tranship cargo to Iran using his company, Dubai-based Gulf Gate Sea Cargo L.L.C. Ansari worked with co-defendant Mehrdad Foomanie between 2007 and 2011 to obtain more than 100,000 parts from companies across the globe valued at more than $2.5 million for more than 1,250 transactions, including nearly 600 transactions with U.S. companies. The scheme involved buying parts from those companies without informing the sellers they would be shipped to Iran, the Justice Department said. Both Ansari and Foomanie face a maximum 20-year prison sentence for conspiracy to violate the ITR, a 20-year prison sentence for conspiracy to launder money and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 9-13 in case you missed them.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the export restrictions on masks, respirators, medicines and other goods needed for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is “a bad cycle,” and he urged the president and world leaders “to work together on a coordinated response on the epidemic.” Grassley, who was speaking with reporters on a conference call March 16, said restrictions reduce global supply and lead to higher prices. “I was encouraged to see the G7 leaders' statement today,” he said, which mentioned support for global trade.
The head of the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security revoked a shipping company’s export privileges for 15 years for export violations but ordered a review of the assessed fine, saying it was too high, according to a March 11 order. The company and its chairman -- Singapore-based Nordic Maritime Pte. Ltd and Morten Innhaug, respectively -- were originally fined more than $30 million by an administrative law judge, who also revoked the company’s export privileges until the fine was paid, according to the order. But Cordell Hull, BIS’s acting undersecretary, said the fine was too high, ordering the judge to review its decision to impose the penalty.
The Department of Commerce denied Zimo Sheng’s export privileges after Sheng was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act, Commerce said in a March 16 order. Sheng attempted to illegally export to China the “upper assembly” for a Glock 48 pistol, which is listed on the U.S. Munitions List. Sheng was convicted Dec. 13, 2018, and sentenced to 40 months in prison and a $200 fine. After the sentencing, Commerce said Sheng left the U.S. and his “current whereabouts are unknown” to the Bureau of Industry and Security. Commerce revoked Sheng’s export privileges for 10 years from his date of conviction.
The U.S. renewed sanctions against Iran, the White House said March 12. The White House said the sanctions, first imposed March 15, 1995, will continue to deter Iran’s nuclear proliferation, its support for terrorism and the activities of the U.S.-sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (see 1904080037).
The European Union extended its sanctions against people or companies undermining the sovereignty of Ukraine, until Sept. 15, according to a March 13 notice. The EU also amended entries for 161 people and 11 entities listed under the sanctions regimes, and deleted entries for two deceased people.
The European Commission announced export controls on shipments of certain protective medical equipment, which will now require authorizations before being sent to third countries, according to a March 15 press release. Several European countries also announced travel restrictions due to the coronavirus, including Germany and Poland, which may impact supply chains and cargo shipments.
The State Department issued notifications of proposed export licenses to Congress as required by the Arms Export Control Act, the agency said in a notice in the March 16 Federal Register. The notifications include details about each proposed export license, including the goods involved, the destination and the value of the shipment.