China said it opposed the U.S. decision this week to sanctions Chinese companies for transporting North Korean coal (see 2012080027). China said it is in line with all United Nations Security Council resolutions. “China firmly opposes any country citing its domestic laws to impose unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ over Chinese entities and individuals,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Dec. 9, according to a transcript it provided of a regular press conference. “We will firmly safeguard the legitimate and legal rights and interests of the Chinese entities and individuals.”
The United Nations Security Council’s Sanctions Committee recently approved updates to its exemption procedures for humanitarian assistance to North Korea, a Dec. 7 news release said. The updates will help provide U.N. member states and nongovernmental organizations with clearer explanations of the UNSC’s humanitarian exemption mechanism, including guidance and recommendations on how to submit exemption requests. The UNSC said the updates will “further simplify several areas of the application process,” extend the “standard duration” for exemptions from six to nine months, allow for “greater flexibility in the shipment consolidation process” and introduce a “best practices process” for applicants.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation removed 12 entries from its Iraq sanctions list, a Dec. 9 notice said. The move brings the U.K. in line with the United Nations’ decision earlier this month to remove the same designated people and entities (see 2012020004).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and three entities in Africa and Asia for corruption, a Dec. 9 news release said. The designations were made as part of International Anti-Corruption Day and imposed sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The incoming Joe Biden administration is planning a “top-to-bottom review” of sanctions operations, programs, budgets and staffing levels at the Treasury Department, Bloomberg reported Dec. 8. It said Adewale Adeyemo, Biden’s pick for deputy treasury secretary, will lead the review. Adeyemo will address “staffing issues” and consider increasing the budget for the Terrorism and Financial Intelligence unit, which oversees the Office of Foreign Assets Control. A Biden transition team spokesperson didn’t comment. OFAC lost a record number of employees last year, which has led to longer processing times and an influx of inexperienced officials (see 2010290028).
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Dec. 8 completed a review of a final rule from the Bureau of Industry and Security that would clarify the scope of certain export restrictions to reflect decisions made at the June 2019 Australia Group plenary meeting. The rule, received by OIRA Nov. 16, would amend the scope of Export Control Classification Number 1C991, covering vaccines, immunotoxins, medical products, and diagnostic and food testing kits.
The State Department is circulating a proposed rule that would permanently revise the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to allow employees involved in ITAR-related activities to work remotely. To make the change, the rule would update the definition of a “regular employee” in ITAR, which would allow for greater flexibility for industry workers who telework, a State Department official said in a Dec. 9 email. The proposed rule was sent for interagency review last week (see 2012080011).
Some United Kingdom exporters may be experiencing delays in applications for three specific open general export licenses (OGEL) because of incorrect information submitted by the applicant, the U.K. said in a Dec. 7 notice. When applying for certain OGELs that require exporters to first obtain an approval letter from the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the applicants must include in their submission the “full contact details” of the Ministry of Defense Project Team that has awarded the exporter its contract. That information must include a telephone number and email address, the U.K. said. “Without this information [the U.K.’s Export Control Joint Unit] MOD will be unable to process the request which will be returned to the requester to provide the missing information,” the notice said. “This will lead to a delay in the exporter being able to use the OGEL.”
China said it will retaliate for U.S. sanctions against 14 National People’s Congress Standing Committee officials (see 2012070024), calling the moves damaging to U.S.-China relations. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the sanctions were imposed with “vicious intent” and urged the U.S. to reverse them. “We have this solemn message for the United States: The Chinese government is firmly determined to oppose U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs, to uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and to implement ‘one country, two systems,’” the spokesperson said Dec. 8. “In response to the egregious act by the U.S. side, China will take firm and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Dec. 7 issued two new frequently asked questions and updated four additional FAQs related to a January executive order that expanded U.S. sanctions authority against Iran (see 2001100050). The two new FAQs clarify whether transactions related to international organizations and Iran’s participation in international legal proceedings are subject to secondary sanctions.