Rosneft criticized recent U.S. sanctions against its subsidiary (see 2002180033), saying the measures were illegal and it is considering “legal protection,” according to a Feb. 18 notice. The company said its subsidiary, Rosneft Trading S.A., has “been implementing its projects in Venezuela in strict compliance with rules of international and national laws.” Rosneft also said it was a “major investor” in Venezuela “long before” U.S. sanctions were introduced, and its contracts were signed before U.S. sanctions were imposed. It also said the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has “not provided any evidence” of Rosneft’s illegal activities. “The sanctions against RTSA are arbitrary and selective, as other international companies, including American ones, carry out similar activities in Venezuela, and the U.S. regulator does not claim them,” the company said.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued guidance for its December interim final rule that will revise the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to provide definitions for activities that are not exports, re-exports, retransfers or temporary imports (see 1912230052). The Feb. 20 “summary handout” previews changes to the rule, details implications for industry and summarizes which activities will not be considered controlled events. The rule will significantly reduce regulatory and compliance burdens surrounding encrypted data (see 1912300024).
The Commerce Department is “nowhere near” publishing an export control rule on foundational technologies and is likely not close to releasing its advance notice of proposed rulemaking, Squire Patton Boggs trade lawyer George Grammas said. Commerce management has had a draft of the ANPRM since at least mid-2019, Grammas said. “It doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast,” he said, speaking during a Feb. 20 webinar hosted by Content Enablers. “We don’t seem to be anywhere near seeing a rule on foundational technologies in the near term.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security revised the country groups for Russia and Yemen under the Export Administration Regulations (see 2001090040), BIS said in a notice. The changes increase license restrictions for both countries and are part of a larger effort within BIS that involves a “comprehensive review” of all country groups to better align with the administration's foreign policy concerns. All shipments now requiring a license as a result of this rule that were on dock for loading or aboard a carrier to a port as of Feb. 24 may proceed to their destinations under the previous eligibility, BIS said. Shipments that have not been exported, re-exported or transferred by March 25 will require a license.
The United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade on Feb. 20 released its Strategic Export Controls Training Bulletin for March to June 2020. The bulletin contains information on upcoming export control training events, courses and forms for registration.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on Feb. 19 issued two frequently asked questions that provide guidance on U.S. people exporting defense services abroad. The FAQs clarify guidance for exporters who “believe they may be currently furnishing defense services without authorization,” DDTC said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released two new Frequently Asked Questions related to its reporting, procedures and penalties regulations (see 1906200036), according to a Feb. 20 notice. The FAQs provide updated instructions and “incorporate” new requirements for filing reports with OFAC on blocked property, unblocked property and rejected transactions.
A Texas businessman and former procurement officer for Venezuela’s state-owned and sanctioned energy company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., was sentenced to 70 months in prison after scheming to secure corrupt PdVSA contracts, the Justice Department said in a Feb. 19 press release. Alfonzo Eliezer Gravina Munoz laundered the proceeds of a bribery scheme involving U.S.-based companies and Venezuelan government officials in exchange for contracts with Citgo Petroleum Corp., a Houston-based subsidiary of PdVSA, the Justice Department said. Munoz was also ordered to pay more than $200,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
The Justice Department settled its lawsuit with Chancery Staffing Solutions over claims of improper screening of non-U.S. citizens, the DOJ said in a Feb. 18 news release. The suit involved allegations that “the staffing company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when, at a law firm client’s directive, it screened out work authorized non-U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens with dual citizenship from a document review project without a lawful basis.”
The United Nations Security Council removed two entries from its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions List after receiving delisting requests, the UNSC said in a Feb. 18 notice. Asset freezes and an arms embargo will no longer apply to Al-Mokhtar Ben Mohamed Ban Al-Mokhtar Bouchoucha and Imad Ben Bechir Ben Hamda Al-Jammali.