President Joe Biden extended a national emergency that authorizes certain sanctions against human rights abuses and corruption, the White House said Dec. 18. The “prevalence” of human rights violations and corruption continues to threaten U.S. security, the White House said. The emergency was extended for one year beyond Dec. 20.
The State Department recently imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies for contributing to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including ballistic missiles. The sanctions, which were imposed in October and published by the State Department in the Federal Register this week, target General Technology Limited, Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Changzhou Utek Composite Company Ltd. All “property and interests in property” of those companies in the U.S. are blocked.
The EU this week announced a new wide-ranging package of Russia sanctions, including designations of more than 140 people and companies as well as new import restrictions on Russian raw materials used to produce certain metals and new export controls on dual-use technology and industrial goods. The package also includes new restrictions on exports of industrial-related services, a broader ban on Russian energy products, a “tighter obligation” for member states to trace assets of sanctioned parties, new anti-sanctions circumvention measures and more.
The Bureau of Industry and Security added 13 Chinese technology companies to its Unverified List, it said in a final rule effective Dec. 19. BIS said it hasn’t been able to verify the “legitimacy and reliability” of the entities through end-use checks, including their ability to responsibly receive controlled U.S. exports. All export license exceptions involving those parties will be suspended, and exporters must file certain Electronic Export Information and obtain a statement from any party listed on the UVL before proceeding with certain exports.
The European Parliament is pushing the EU to impose new sanctions against government officials for human rights abuses in Belarus and Tibet.
The U.K. on Dec. 15 sanctioned Russia-based Joint Stock Commercial Bank Novikombank. The country's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said the bank conducts business in a sector of "strategic significance" to the Russian government. OFSI also amended the listings for 27 other Russia-related entries.
The Bureau of Industry and Security last week opened registration for its rescheduled March 27-29 update conference on export controls and policy. The conference originally was set for Nov. 28-30 (see 2311080088).
Charles McGonigal, a former FBI agent in the New York Counterintelligence Division, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for his work with sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced in a Dec. 14 news release. McGonigal in August pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, including by, following his departure from the FBI, investigating a rival Russian oligarch in return for payments from Deripaska (see 2308160029).
Five Republican senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to re-designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, citing the Yemen-based group’s recent attacks in the region.
The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Industry and Security have restarted work on their long-awaited routed export rule and hope to make more progress in the next year, said Gerry Horner, chief of the Census Trade Regulations Branch.