The Congressional Research Service released an Aug. 14 report on U.S. sanctions against Russia, including details about the first and second round of sanctions under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act. The report details the sanctions’ targets, purposes and how they can be lifted or waived.
Gibraltar released an Iranian tanker it had seized for possible violations of European Union sanctions, rejecting requests from the U.S. to continue detaining the ship.
A trade credit insurer will settle for about $345,000 after it violated the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in an Aug. 16 enforcement notice. The company, Maryland-based Atradius Trade Credit Insurance, allegedly completed transactions with sanctioned entities.
The Bureau of Industry and Security renewed the temporary general license for Huawei and added 46 more of Huawei’s non-U.S. affiliates to the Entity List. The changes, which take effect Aug. 19, extend the general license’s expiration date from Aug. 19 to Nov. 18 and make several other technical changes to entries on the Entity List, including adding new aliases and addresses.
The White House said it is continuing the national emergency related to U.S. export control regulations, according to an Aug. 14 press release. The emergency is being continued because there is still an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy” of the U.S., the White House said. The emergency is being extended for one year. It was first declared Aug. 17, 2001.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control is holding its 2019 Fall Symposium on Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C., OFAC said in an Aug. 14 notice. The symposium will feature a “comprehensive review” of U.S. sanctions and OFAC staff will be available to answer questions, the agency said. Registration is open, but the agency has not yet released an agenda. According to the webpage for the event, the agenda will be made available at the event.
Japan is unsure about the details of South Korea’s decision to remove Japan’s preferential trade status, a Japanese official said, but thinks the move won’t have much of an impact.
The State Department announced sanctions on Zhuhai Zhenrong, China’s state-owned oil company, for buying petroleum from Iran, according to a notice in the Aug. 15 Federal Register. The sanctions -- which target the company and Youmin Li, its executive director and general manager -- take effect Sept. 16.
The United Kingdom updated guidance for two defense-related general licenses on Aug. 13. For the U.K.'s open general export license for "military goods for demonstration," the U.K. will now allow the option for the goods to remain under the control of the exporter’s agent. For its open general export license on "historic military vehicles and artillery pieces," including “vintage” vehicles built 50 years or more before the export date that are exported to European Union countries for no longer than three months, "exporters are no longer required to register," the updated guidance said.
The United Kingdom Department for International Trade is setting new export controls on submersible vessels and related equipment, software and technology destined to Russia. “This additional control is a consequence of Russia developing certain capabilities -- including the ability to track, access and disrupt undersea communication cables,” the agency said in a notice to exporters. The new export controls, which take effect Aug. 14, only apply to exports to Russia, it said. “Export licence applications for items subject to the new control will be assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria,” said the U.K. Department for International Trade.