The European Council renewed sanctions against the Democratic Republic of Congo for one year until Dec. 12, 2021, it announced Dec. 11. The DRC sanctions list contains 11 people. The council said it will continue to “review the restrictive measures” against the DRC and “stands ready to adjust them accordingly.”
The U.S. designated the Saraya al-Mukhtar group, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, as a specially designated global terrorist, the State Department said Dec. 15. The group is reportedly backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has plotted attacks against U.S. personnel in Bahrain, the State Department said.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is establishing an industry working group to receive regular feedback on the Defense Export Controls and Compliance System, DDTC said Dec. 14. The agency said it is looking for 50 industry volunteers for the DECCS “User Group,” which will “identify functional and technical challenges” with DECCS and recommend system improvements. The group’s first virtual meeting is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2021. DDTC said the “initial plan is for the User Group to span one calendar year.” Applicants should email PM_DDTCProjectTeam@state.gov with their name and affiliation by Dec. 23. The agency said it will choose members by Jan. 11.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls Dec. 14 issued guidance on the recently imposed U.S. sanctions against Turkey, detailing how it will implement various export restrictions. DDTC said it will not approve “any specific license or authorization” for exports or reexports for transactions where Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) is a party, including for “defense articles,” technical data or defense services. While the restrictions do not apply to “temporary import authorizations” or current and valid reexport authorizations, they do apply to all new export and reexport authorizations, DDTC said. That includes “amendments to previously approved licenses or agreements and licenses in furtherance of previously approved agreements.”
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The Commerce Department published its fall 2020 regulatory agenda for the Bureau of Industry and Security, including new mentions of rules to amend Hong Kong under the Export Administration Regulations, releases of controlled technologies to standards setting bodies and a range of new technology controls.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Dec. 11 began reviewing a final Bureau of Industry and Security rule that will implement more export controls agreed to at the 2019 Wassenaar Arrangement plenary. BIS published the first set of controls from the plenary in October (see 2010020042) but has since experienced rulemaking delays (see 2012080046).
The U.S. sanctioned Ashraf al-Qizani, the leader of an Islamic State group affiliate in Tunisia, for terrorism, the State Department said Dec. 11. The announcement designated al-Qizani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to his “numerous attacks” in Tunisia.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two senior Iranian intelligence officials involved in the 2007 abduction of a U.S. law enforcement agent, OFAC said Dec. 14. The sanctions target Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, officials at Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, for the abduction of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent at the time who was working as a private investigator.
The Treasury Department said it has not found evidence of any foreign banks facilitating “significant transactions” for the Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the U.S. in August (see 2008070039), the agency said in a report released to Congress Dec. 11. Treasury said it will “continue to monitor for any activity that meets these criteria” and will “engage foreign governments” and financial institutions “to ensure they understand the reporting requirements and sanctions risks under” the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (see 2007140068), the report said. The agency said it has had “constructive conversations” with “foreign counterparts across the globe” about complying with U.S. sanctions and has asked other governments to “communicate these requirements and risks to financial institutions within their respective jurisdictions.”