The EU inched closer this week to adopting a law that could require member states to treat sanctions violations as criminal offenses, which could result in harsher penalties and possible prison time (see 2306090006).
The U.S. last week seized three websites with a top level domain name operated by people sanctioned by the Treasury Department, including those with ties to the Lebanese branch of Hezbollah, DOJ announced. The websites are registered to domain name registry provider Verisign and are ctexlb.com, imarwaiktissad.com and russia-now.com. DOJ said people who operate the sites are listed on Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals List and are listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently published an advisory opinion that offers guidance on its genetic elements export controls under Export Control Classification Number 1C353.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The U.S. this week sanctioned more than 250 people and companies supplying Russia’s military in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls, targeting procurement networks in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere. The Treasury and State departments said many of the newly sanctioned companies supplied Russia with goods listed on the Commerce Department’s list of common high-priority items, including electronic components, while others sold Russia advanced weapons and military technology.
Congress should require the Biden administration to strengthen export controls against China and give it new tools to restrict a broader range of inbound and outbound investments, the House Select Committee on China said in a Dec. 12 report.
Exporters will have at least another month to digest the Bureau of Industry and Security's recently updated semiconductor export controls before the agency issues clarifications and corrections.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on Dec. 8 issued a new general license allowing sanctioned parties to pay certain U.K. government taxes and fees. Parties acting on behalf of the sanctioned people or entities may also make these payments. Parties making these payments must report the details of the payment within 14 days of making the payment to OFSI. The license took effect Dec. 9.
The European Council this week added to its sanctions regimes for Iran and Myanmar and extended its restrictions on Mali for another year.
The U.K. this week unveiled a new agency that it said will boost enforcement of its Russia sanctions and "clamp down on companies dodging" those restrictions, the Department for Business and Trade announced. The new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation also will help the government issue "tougher penalties" for trade sanctions violations and refer cases for criminal enforcement.