The Office of Foreign Assets Control Jan. 5 issued two new frequently asked questions and amended two other FAQs to clarify sanctions against Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The FAQs cover OFAC’s non-blocking menu-based sanctions, certain definitions and other sanctions clarifications.
The Bureau of Industry and Security amended the Chemical Weapons Convention Regulations and Export Administration Regulations to control new chemicals used in chemical weapons. The final rule, effective Jan. 7, aligns U.S. export controls with recent changes made by the multilateral Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Bureau of Industry and Security clarified and expanded the scope of export controls for certain vaccines and medical products (see 2012090006), the agency said in a final rule effective Jan. 7. The changes align U.S. export controls with decisions agreed to at the Australia Group’s 2019 plenary group. The updated controls also have implications for vaccines related to COVID-19, BIS said.
Akin Gump promoted two trade lawyers to partners, it said Jan. 4. Jaelyn Edwards Judelson advises clients on sanctions and export controls, and Yujin Kim McNamara advises clients on international trade issues, including dispute settlements and trade remedies.
The United Nations Security Council urged member states to more “actively” work with its sanctions committee to counter individuals and groups related to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and al-Qaida, and to submit more listing and designation requests, a Dec. 29 UNSC news release said. The council said more designation requests will help keep the U.N. sanctions list “reliable and up to date.” It advocated for an “analytical support and sanctions monitoring team” to study sanctions exemption procedures set out in a 2017 resolution, and to report to the committee within three months its analysis, including whether the exemptions should be updated.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a Jan. 4 guidance on the U.K.’s financial sanctions against Libya, detailing the types of asset freezes the U.K. can enforce. The guidance also covers how the U.K. prohibits transactions involving Libyan oil aboard ships designated by the United Nations, how the sanctions affect subsidiaries of sanctioned entities and how the U.K. determines ownership.
The U.S. sanctioned one person and 16 entities for their involvement in Iran’s metal sector, the Treasury Department said Jan. 5. The sanctions target Kaifeng Pingmei New Carbon Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (KFCC), a Chinese graphite electrode supplier; 12 Iranian steel producers, including the Middle East Mines and Mineral Industries Development Holding Co.; and three foreign sales agents of an Iranian metals company. The State Department also sanctioned KFCC, Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines subsidiary Hafez Darya Arya Shipping Co. and Majid Sajdeh, a principal executive officer of Hafez Darya.
The State Department announced sanctions and other penalties on entities and people for “significant transactions” involving Iranian petroleum products, a Jan. 6 notice said. The sanctions apply to Arya Sasol Polymer Company, Binrin Limited, Bakhtar Commercial Company, Kavian Petrochemical Company, Strait Shipbrokers PTE Ltd., Amir Hossein Bahreini, Lin Na Wei, Murtuza Mustafamunir Basrai, Hosein Firouzi Arani and Ramezan Oladi, the notice said. The penalties include prohibitions on certain foreign exchange transactions, transfers of credit, asset freezes, investment restrictions, and import restrictions on goods, technology or services from the entities.
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The Bureau of Industry and Security renewed its temporary export control on certain artificial intelligence software as it prepares to propose the control at multilateral control groups. The control, first issued in January 2020 (see 2001030024), placed unilateral restrictions on geospatial imagery software, adding it to the 0Y521 Temporary Export Control Classification Numbers Series. BIS extended the control for one year, effective Jan. 6, a notice said.