Senators said they are continuing to negotiate the details of a comprehensive Russia sanctions bill Feb. 8 and hope to reach an agreement quickly. Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, declined to say what the final sticking points are, but said they need to be cleared up soon. “We’re running out of runway here,” Risch told reporters on Capitol Hill, “and it’s really important that we get this done.”
President Joe Biden extended a national emergency that authorizes certain sanctions against people and entities in Myanmar, the White House said Feb. 7. The “situation” resulting from the military coup in 2021 continues to pose a threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy, the White House said The emergency was extended for one year beyond Feb. 10.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is adding Ethiopia sanctions regulations to implement the Sept. 17 executive order "Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons With Respect to the Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia" (see 2109170036).
WuXi Biologics, one of China’s largest biotechnology companies, said it complies with all U.S. export control regulations despite the Commerce Department’s decision to add two of its subsidiaries to the Unverified List this week (see 2202070012). The company said it has been approved to import U.S. export-controlled “hardware controllers for bioreactors and certain hollow fiber filters” for 10 years. “We do not re-export or resell these items to any other entity,” WuXi said Feb. 8 in a statement.
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The European Commission announced plans this week to increase investments and incentives for its semiconductor industry and establish a more reliable chip supply chain to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. The plans also could lead to more export control measures over sensitive chip products in response to domestic shortages or unfair foreign trade policies.
The U.K. amended seven entries under its Belarus sanctions list, in a Feb. 4 financial sanctions notice. The entry for Dana Holdings, also known as Dana Astra, was amended on the new and previous versions of the Consolidated List, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said. Entries for Alexander Ryhorovich Lukashenko, Igor Petrovich Sergeenko, Dmitry Balaba, Aleh Uladzimiravich Matkin, Andrei Mikalaevich Gurtsevich and Mikhail Safarbekovich Gutseriev also were amended but solely on the new version of the Consolidated List. OFSI also removed an alias for the entry of Alexander Vasilevich Shakutin.
The EU renewed for another six month its "EU terrorist list," which lays out individuals, groups and entities subject to sanctions with an eye toward combating terrorism, the European Council said Feb. 3. The restrictive measures now apply to 13 individuals and 21 groups and entities. The list was set up after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and are reviewed "at least every six months."
The European Union added five individuals to its Mali sanctions regime due to their actions undermining Mali's political transition. The individuals are Malick Diaw, Ismael Wague, Choguel Maiga, Ibrahim Ikassa Maiga and Adama Ben Diarra, also known as Ben Le Cerveau, all members of the Malian transition government. The restrictive measures include a travel ban and asset freeze. "The EU continues to stand with the people of the Sahel and reaffirms its full commitment to strict compliance with the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law in Mali," the European Council said.
The EU adopted the U.N.'s humanitarian exemption to Afghanistan-related sanctions regimes in a pair of moves from the European Council. In a council regulation, the EU halted asset freezes where imposing such a restriction would hold up funds necessary to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid or support basic human needs in Afghanistan. In a council decision, the EU dropped asset freezes on the processing of funds and the provision of goods and services needed to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid. The U.K. imposed an identical exemption to its Afghanistan sanctions regime last week (see 2201310012).