The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued seven new frequently asked questions to provide more guidance on humanitarian shipments to Afghanistan. The new FAQs, issued Feb. 3, clarify aspects of general licenses 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 for authorized assistance by nongovernmental organizations and international organizations within Afghanistan that may involve transactions with the Taliban. These forms of assistance include cash shipments, bank transactions, support for municipal water systems that "directly benefit the Afghan people," and salary support for teachers and healthcare workers "even to the extent doing so would involve transacting with the Taliban and/or Haqqani Network."
The House will consider multiple sanctions and export control amendments submitted as part of its China competition bill (see 2201310064), including one that could adjust the Commerce Department's export control authority, several that could require more scrutiny on Chinese foreign investments and at least two that could lead to new China sanctions.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a Feb. 3 final rule to reorganize, make corrections and clarify the scope of its foreign direct product rules. The changes, mentioned in the agency’s fall 2021 regulatory agenda (see 2112210044), help to clarify where and how the FDP rules apply and make some corrections to language in the Export Administration Regulations.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added three individuals to its Myanmar sanctions list in a Jan. 31 regulation. Thida Oo, Myanmar attorney general; Thein Soe, Union Election Commission chair; and Tin Oo, Anti-Corruption Commission in Myanmar chair, will now be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban. Separately, OFSI amended the entry for former Special Forces Commander Saadi Qadhafi, under its Libya sanctions regime, still subjecting him to an asset freeze.
Russia imposed travel bans on representatives of European Union member states in response to the bloc's sanctions on Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced, according to an unofficial translation. The number of sanctioned individuals is unknown, as are the names of the sanctioned parties. The notice specified that the listed individuals include European private military company leaders, law enforcement representatives, and legislative and executive agencies of various member states. The EU's sanctions are "hypocritical," seeing as the EU purportedly imposes the norms of its legislation "everywhere," Russia's Foreign Ministry said. "The European Union deplores the decision by Russian authorities, announced on Friday, to ban an unknown number of representatives of EU Member States and institutions from entry into Russia," the EU responded in a statement Jan. 28. "This decision lacks any legal justification and transparency and will meet an appropriate response. With it, Russia continues to fuel a climate of tensions in Europe instead of contributing to de-escalation."
Legislation intended to expand the criteria for which the United Kingdom can sanction individuals and companies under the country's Russia sanctions program will be sent to Parliament, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Jan. 31. The new regulations will allow sanctions to be imposed on any "any company that is linked to the Russian state, engages in business of economic significance to the Russian state, or operates in a sector of strategic significance to the Russian state" along with those who control these entities, Truss said before Parliament.
The U.S. and allies must “enhance” their sanctions enforcement against Myanmar to better cut off revenue streams to the country’s military, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said in a Jan. 31 letter to the State Department. The administration should also make sure “existing and future sanctions are enforced to the fullest extent possible,” the lawmakers said, adding that there is “no indication” that U.S. sanctions against Myanmar’s State Administrative Council have affected its ability to receive funds.
Senators said this week they are close to finalizing negotiations on a bill that would impose new sanctions on Russia both before and after it potentially invades Ukraine. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the Democratic chair of the chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee, said Feb. 1 that he plans to meet soon with Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the committee’s top Republican, to finalize the bill.
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The State Department this week fined a U.S. electro-optics equipment manufacturer $840,000 after it illegally exported or tried to export defense items to several countries, including China and Lebanon. Torrey Pines Logic didn’t secure required export licenses before shipping its products, illegally participated in defense export activities while it was ineligible and didn’t maintain adequate export transaction records, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said in a charging letter released Jan. 31. TPL ultimately agreed to a series of remedial measures to improve its export compliance program, including hiring a DDTC-approved compliance officer.