Eight European countries not in the EU aligned themselves with the EU's recent decision to sanction three individuals responsible for threatening the sovereignty of Ukraine, the European Council said. The countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposed the decision.
China imposed sanctions on two individuals: Raytheon Technologies CEO Gregory Hayes and Theodore Colbert, president-CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The move comes as a response to the U.S.'s planned $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response to a reporter's question during a regularly scheduled Sept. 16b press conference in Beijing, according to a transcript provided in English. The spokesperson said China condemns the sale and that it gravely undermines China's sovereignty and security.
The Treasury Department is seeking public comments as it works to address illicit finance and national security risks related to digital assets. The request -- which came after President Joe Biden ordered various agencies to study and assess illegal uses of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets (see 2203090067 and 2207130009) -- seeks feedback on “any matter that commenters believe is relevant to Treasury’s ongoing efforts to assess the illicit finance risks associated with digital assets as well as the ongoing efforts to mitigate the risks.” The agency specifically asked whether any areas are related to “sanctions obligations with respect to digital assets that require additional clarity” and whether Treasury can improve its current sanctions guidance for digital assets. The agency also asked for information on the types of “technological solutions” being used by companies in the digital asset sector to improve their sanctions compliance. Comments are due on or before Nov. 3.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week issued a reminder to industry to file annual reports on blocked property by Sept. 30 (see 2207010054). The notice applies to blocked property held as of June 30.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls plans to again extend a rule that temporarily suspended restrictions on certain defense exports to Cyprus, the agency said last week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that Cyprus has “met the necessary conditions” to continue to receive U.S. defense exports through FY 2023, the agency said, and the U.S. will continue to suspend its policy of denial for all exports to Cyprus of items on the U.S. Munition List. DDTC said it will soon publish a Federal Register notice to amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to reflect the change.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week updated its restricted aircraft list by adding three Iranian-owned and operated planes for violating U.S. export controls after they provided flight services to Russia. The planes -- owned by Mahan Air, Qeshm Fars Air and Iran Air -- are the first Iranian aircraft added to the list and are now subject to certain maintenance and repair restrictions and other prohibitions outlined in General Prohibition 10 of the Export Administration Regulations.
Deborah Connor, former chief of DOJ's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, has joined Morrison Foerster as a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based Litigation Department, the firm announced. While at DOJ, Connor oversaw various investigative actions, including matters involving violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and economic sanctions. Before taking over MLARS, Connor served at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia for 16 years, working in various roles, including as chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, where she led the prosecution of cases involving violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the firm said. At Morrison Foerster, Connor will center her practice on anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act matters.
Apple should “rethink” any decision to purchase chips from China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote in a Sept. 14 letter to the U.S. technology company. Cotton said Apple and “far too many” other American businesses “already rely on China for manufacturing and supplies. Adding another Chinese company to Apple’s supply chain, particularly one with close ties” to the Chinese government and military, “compounds these risks.”
The White House last week released its digital assets development framework to implement a March executive order aimed to address risks in crypto and other digital marketplaces (see 2203090067). The framework came several months after companies and trade groups told the administration the U.S. should better regulate the cryptocurrency industry to increase sanctions compliance but not in a way that inhibits innovation (see 2208150028).
China last week announced sanctions on two defense industry CEOs for arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions target Raytheon's Gregory Hayes and Boeing Global Services' Theodore Colbert, after both companies were involved in the Sept. 2 State Department approval of more than $1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan (see 2209060018). The U.S. should “stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said during a Sept. 16 news conference. A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment, and a Raytheon spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment. China in February sanctioned Raytheon and Lockheed Martin under its Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law in response to the companies selling arms to Taiwan (see 2202230013).