The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two people involved in Myanmar’s military coup carried out earlier this month, OFAC said Feb. 22. The designations target Moe Myint Tun and Maung Maung Kyaw, who the State Department said are members of Myanmar's State Administrative Council. The move follows previous U.S. sanctions imposed on Myanmar this month, along with increased export restrictions (see 2102110020).
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Adewale Adeyemo, President Joe Biden’s nominee for deputy treasury secretary, said he is open to continuing unilateral sanctions against China but stressed that he prefers multilateral sanctions and closer coordination with allies. Adeyemo also said he plans to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of the agency’s sanctions procedures (see 2101190060) and examine whether the U.S.’s foreign investment screening tools should be strengthened.
The European Union added 19 top Venezuelan officials to its sanctions list for their roles in undermining democracy and the rule of law in the South American country along with serious human rights violations, the European Council said in a Feb. 22 news release. The targeted individuals are military, political and judicial leaders, bringing to 55 the total number of sanctioned Venezuelan officials. The expanded sanctions come after announcements from the EC Jan. 7 and Jan. 25, threatening additional targeted measures against Venezuelan officials if President Nicolas Maduro did not begin a transition period to the democratically elected opposition (see 2101060010).
Following Canada's imposition of restrictions on trade with China's Xinjiang region, stemming from the use of forced labor and other human rights violations, industry is expressing anxiety over its ability to come into full compliance with the new regulations, a lawyer said. Cliff Sosnow, partner at Fasken, told Export Compliance Daily that Canada's new regulations are meant to make it harder on importers to import goods with links to Xinjiang and to ramp up the pressure on companies to show due diligence in regard to the sanctity of their supply chains.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., introduced a bill called the Supporting Mexico Against Corruption Act, which would require the president to impose Magnitsky sanctions on Mexican government officials where there is “credible evidence” they have engaged in corruption described in the Global Magnitsky Act. Gallagher, in a press release announcing the bill's introduction, said that the Treasury has only sanctioned one Mexican government official under the Magnitsky Act since 2016.
The United Nations Security Council removed sanctions from two people after receiving delisting requests, it said in a Feb. 19 news release. The UNSC delisted Said ben Abdelhakim Ben Omar al-Cherif and Emrah Erdogan from its ISIL (Da’esh) and al‑Qaida Sanctions List. They are no longer subject to an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated two sanctions entries for a Russian entity and a vessel involved in the construction of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 (see 2101190018), according to a Feb. 22 notice. The agency added identifying information for the entries and other sanctions information. OFAC didn’t comment on the update.
The Biden administration has a range of pressing trade- and sanctions-related issues to address in the Middle East, including charting a path to restoring the Iranian nuclear deal, ensuring sanctions are not hindering humanitarian aid and recruiting Middle East allies to counter Chinese technology competition, experts said.
A judge with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas declined to allow the state of Texas to voluntarily drop a civil forfeiture lawsuit over goods seized by a local law enforcement group that aims to stop illegal exports. The state will continue litigation in a similar case in front of the same court. The federal government isn't a party in either case.