Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Companies could see a significant uptick in compliance responsibilities if the Bureau of Industry and Security follows through with a possible 50% rule for parties on the Entity List, although it’s unclear when exactly such a rule could take effect, former BIS officials said this week.
Scott Wise, former assistant general counsel for global trade at Microsoft, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in the international trade group, the firm announced. At Microsoft, Wise was the lead attorney on economic sanctions and outbound investment issues regarding emerging technologies, such as AI and quantum computing, the firm said.
Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Anna Luna, R-Fla., introduced a bill June 27 that would end U.S. sanctions on Syria to help the country rebuild following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime.
The Council of the European Union on June 30 renewed sanctions on Russia for an additional six months, pushing them to Jan. 31, 2026. The measures, first imposed in 2014 due to Russian attacks against Ukrainian sovereignty, currently consist of broad sectoral measures and efforts to combat sanctions circumvention. The measures also include a "ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU."
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a final rule that adds to its regulations implementing President Donald Trump's February executive order authorizing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (see 2502070022). The rule, effective July 1, incorporates several previously issued general licenses into the regulations. The agency said it plans to issue a "more comprehensive set of regulations" in the future, "which may include additional interpretive guidance and definitions, GLs, and other regulatory provisions."
House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., urged the Trump administration June 27 to impose several export-related restrictions as it implements new AI deals with the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
President Donald Trump on June 30 signed an executive order to remove certain financial sanctions against Syria and authorize the "relaxation" of export controls against the country, part of broader effort to support Syria's "path to stability and peace," the White House said.
The U.K. last week warned foreign companies that it may sanction them if they’re involved in activities that could contribute to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to “serious consequences for your business and other financial dealings.” The country’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said British businesses are also on the lookout for companies that may be doing prohibited business with Russia, and if U.K. companies can’t be "assured" that a foreign firm isn’t involved with Russia, “some UK companies may take a cautious approach (sometimes termed ‘de-risking’) and refuse to do business with you.”
The U.K.’s Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation officially began accepting formal whistleblower disclosures June 26, the agency said in an email to industry. The U.K. also put in place changes to "help whistleblowers qualify for protections at work when disclosing information about financial, transport, and certain trade sanctions to the relevant department," OTSI said. The agency updated its whistleblower guidance to outline how to make a report and how the government will treat reports.