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 the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Countries should strengthen multilateral export controls over advanced hypersonic weapons technologies and work closer to prevent their proliferation, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in an April report. This may require more stringent export restrictions at multilateral control regimes and better outreach to countries outside the regimes, the report said, including China.
The U.S. should make export control harmonization a priority as it pursues its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, ensuring that any restrictions are aligned with member countries and not unfairly hampering American companies, U.S. trade groups told the Commerce Department in comments released this week (see 2203140018). The U.S. could even use the IPEF to create a new multilateral export control regime, some groups said, which could specifically focus on semiconductor equipment or other advanced technologies.
The U.K. revised its general license under its Russia sanctions regime permitting the provision of technical assistance, financial services and funds, and brokering services for certain vessels. The updated license includes aircraft and aeroengines and the provision of insurance services for aviation under the license, the Export Control Joint Unit said. The license came into effect April 5 and requires anyone seeking to rely on the license to register via the U.K.'s SPIRE export licensing system within 30 days of the first use of the license.
Russia imposed sanctions on members of the Australian and New Zealand governments in an April 7 retaliatory move, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, according to an unofficial translation. The sanctioned parties include New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Gov.-General Cynthia Kiro, and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as hundreds of members of their respective governments. The listed parties are barred from entering Russia.
The U.K. added two entries to its Bosnia and Herzegovina sanctions list and amended three names under its Russia sanctions regime. In one notice, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added Zeljka Cvijanovic, president of Republika Srpska, and Milorad Dodik, president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats party, to the Bosnia and Herzegovina sanctions regime. In a separate notice, OFSI amended the entries for Evgeny Alekseevich Fedorov, Tigran Organesovich Khudaverdyan and Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 11 designated seven people and one entity across four countries for their involvement in corruption and organized crime that threatens the stability of the Western Balkans. The targets are former business executives and government officials in Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. "The people designated today constitute a serious threat to regional stability, institutional trust, and the aspirations of those seeking democratic and judicious governance in the Western Balkans,” Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said.
The EU added 217 individuals and 18 entities to its fifth sanctions package on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Announcing the additions April 8, the European Council said they include Kremlin officials, oligarchs and proponents of disinformation surrounding the war in Ukraine. Among them Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, shareholder of fertilizer company Acron Group; Boris Rotenberg, shareholder of Gazprom Drilling and co-owner of the SGM group; and Oleg Deripaska, owner of Russian Machines and other arms companies. The restrictions also apply to family members of sanctioned individuals.
Some U.S. export control policies are hindering the American semiconductor sector and chip innovation, technology companies and trade groups told the Commerce Department in recent comments (see 2201210024). Commerce can take steps to ease compliance challenges, including around deemed export controls, and make sure to propose narrow and multilateral emerging and foundational technology controls, the commenters said.
Brenda Belinda Barba, a resident of McAllen, Texas, pleaded guilty April 7 to illegally exporting firearms and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced. Barba attempted to export a Glock 9mm and .22 caliber pistols, four Glock pistol magazines and 550 rounds of ammunition of varying caliber to Mexico, the office said. In November, Barba attempted to cross into Mexico at the Anzalduas Port of Entry, telling border authorities that she had nothing to declare. The export-controlled goods were found after an inspection of her vehicle. The defendant will be sentenced July 18 and faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.