The Senate Banking Committee voted 13-11 along party lines July 23 to approve David Peters' nomination as assistant secretary of commerce for export enforcement.
The State Department’s Defense Export Control and Compliance System's advisory opinions application will undergo system maintenance from 2 to 5 p.m. EDT July 25. "Industry users may experience service degradation, interruptions, or limited application functionality within DECCS during this maintenance window," the agency said. "If you experience any issues, please log back in after the maintenance window."
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., has been appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the panel announced July 22. Fine, who became a House member in April, introduced a bill in early July that would require a review of whether individuals or entities included on certain sanctions list should be included on other sanctions lists (see 2507070022). In late June, he introduced a bill to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The House approved by voice vote late July 21 a bill aimed at improving the investigative capabilities of the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
China this week criticized the EU’s recent decision to sanction more than 25 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies for supporting Russia's military-industrial complex (see 2507180017), saying the bloc’s allegations are “groundless." Beijing “is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said July 21 in response to a reporter's question at a regular press conference, according to an unofficial translation.
The U.K. is accepting public comments on how the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation can improve its civil enforcement of financial sanctions and whether it should adopt several proposed changes to its current practices. Those include:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned two people and five entities involved in money laundering and importing petroleum products into territory controlled by Houthis, the group designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization in March (see 2503040008). The designations target a network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates for being “among the most significant importers” of petroleum products and money launderers for the Houthis.
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In a joint statement, the U.S. and Indonesia said Indonesia will accept FDA certificates and prior marketing authorization for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, will exempt U.S. exports of cosmetics and medical devices "from certain requirements," and will exempt U.S. companies from local content requirements.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said July 22 that the U.S. needs to impose stronger export controls and outbound investment restrictions on China to protect its own national security.