China issued a set of new rules and regulations to protect its firms against extraterritorial U.S. sanctions and to allow for penalties for complying with U.S. restrictions. The rules, issued Jan. 9 by the country’s Ministry of Commerce, allow China to restrict its people and companies from complying with foreign sanctions or else face Chinese sanctions, according to an unofficial translation of the regulations. The rules, which don’t mention the U.S. specifically, include reporting obligations, a legal process for complying with Chinese law over U.S. sanctions and outlines a working mechanism that will oversee the process.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America recently published two export compliance documents to help guide freight forwarders involved in exporting, the group said in a Jan. 11 email to industry. The U.S. Principal Party in Interest export responsibility information sheet provides guidance on the responsibilities of an export customer in an export transaction, and the Shipper’s Letter of Instruction model is intended to help forwarders as they gather required export control information and create a company-specific SLI.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated general licenses under its counterterrorism licensing policy, a Jan. 11 notice said. The U.K. revoked three general licenses and revoked and replaced one general license related to “legal aid.” The legal aid license allows certain agencies and bodies to make payments relating to “legal services” to sanctioned people.
The State Department said Jan. 10 it will notify Congress of the agency’s intent to designate Ansarallah -- also known as the Houthis -- as a foreign terrorist organization. The agency also designated three of the group’s leaders -- Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim -- as specially designated global terrorists. The State Department said it will “put in place” measures to minimize the sanctions’ impact on humanitarian imports into Yemen. The Treasury Department will provide humanitarian-related licenses and guidance for certain transactions and activities conducted by both the U.S. government and nongovernmental organizations, State said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned seven people and four entities involved in a Russia-linked influence network aimed at influencing U.S. elections, OFAC said Jan. 11. The designations target former Ukrainian government officials Konstantin Kulyk, Oleksandr Onyshchenko, Andriy Telizhenko and current Ukraine Parliament member Oleksandr Dubinsky. OFAC also sanctioned NabuLeaks and Era-Media TOV, media companies in Ukraine that “push false narratives,” and Petro Zhuravel, who owns designated media disinformation companies Only News and Skeptik TOV. Also designated were Dmytro Kovalchuk and Anton Simonenko, who work closely with Andrii Derkach, a sanctioned Russian agent. Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a statement on the move, saying: “The decision to impose sanctions on Andriy Telizhenko for his role in these efforts is welcome and long overdue. By imposing sanctions on Telizhenko, the Trump administration confirms that Senate Republicans’ year-long investigation was based on Russian disinformation. In fact, Chairmen [Ron] Johnson [of Wisconsin, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee] and [Chuck] Grassley [of Iowa, the Finance Committee] cited Mr. Telizhenko 42 times in the letters sent as part of this investigation, and ignored repeated warnings to not give credibility to disinformation.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security loosened its license review policy for exports of certain drones controlled under the Export Administration Regulations (see 2012150011). The move, following a similar announcement by the State Department in July (see 2007270035), will impose a case-by-case license review policy on certain unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as opposed to a review policy of presumption of denial. The change will impact drones controlled for missile technology (MT) reasons and that have a “range and payload capability equal to or greater than 300 kilometers/500 kilograms” and a “maximum true airspeed of less than 800 km/hour,” BIS said in a final rule. The agency said the case-by-case review policy will also apply to MT-controlled items for the design, development, production or use in such drones. The changes take effect Jan. 12.
The United Kingdom amended several entries under its Syria, Russia and chemical weapons sanctions regimes, Jan. 8 notices said. The revisions include changes to Kamal Cheikha’s entry under Syria and the entry of Russia’s State Unitary Enterprise of the City of Sevastopol (Sevastopol Sea Port). The other revisions amend seven entries designated for chemical weapons reasons: Andrei Veniaminovich Yarin, Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, Sergei Ivanovich Menyailo, Aleksandr Vasilievich Bortnikov, Pavel Anatolievich Popov, Aleksei Yurievich Krivoruchko and the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology.
The State Department criticized the arrests of more than 50 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong last week, saying the U.S. could levy more sanctions on Chinese officials. “The United States will consider sanctions and other restrictions on any and all individuals and entities involved in executing this assault on the Hong Kong people, explore restrictions against the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the United States, and take additional immediate actions against officials who have undermined Hong Kong’s democratic processes,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Jan. 6. The European Union also criticized the arrests but did not threaten more sanctions. It said Jan. 7 the arrests “are the latest indication that the National Security Law is being used by the Hong Kong and mainland authorities to stifle political pluralism in Hong Kong.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Jan. 8 updated its list of Chinese military companies and sanctioned an Iraqi official for human rights abuses. OFAC designated Falih al-Fayyadh, a former national security adviser who serves as the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Committee chairman. OFAC said al-Fayyadh headed the PMC when its “subcomponents” fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters in 2019.
The United Kingdom’s Export Control Joint Unit on Jan. 8 updated its legislation and licensing guidance to consolidate all notices for exporters that affect the end of the U.K.’s transition period after its break with the European Union. The documents include guidance on exporting dual-use items, firearms, civil nuclear material and military items.