Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Nov. 4 that he doesn't know when lawmakers will take up his Nigeria sanctions bill but that he "would like to see it moved sooner rather than later." Cruz said he’s unaware of any opposition to his legislation, which aims to address religious persecution, including the alleged mass killing of Christians.
Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Jefferson Shreve, R-Ind., both members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the Treasury Department Nov. 3 to designate the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, citing the group’s ties to Hamas.
The Democratic minority on the House Select Committee on China said in a new report Nov. 4 that the U.S. and its allies should strengthen their export controls to prevent China from using their technology for repression.
The U.K. on Nov. 3 amended one entry under its Iran sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated the listing for Ali Aliakbar Ansari to add the name "Ali." Ansari was sanctioned for providing economic resources to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week that authorizes certain transactions with three aircraft that had been blocked under the Belarus Sanctions Regulations. The license, which has no expiration date, authorizes transactions with:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a network of people and entities for their ties to North Korean money laundering, sanctions evasion and information technology worker fraud. The agency said the network has helped North Korea generate revenue for its weapons programs.
The U.K.’s new trade sanctions enforcement agency warned freight forwarders and carriers this week about their obligation to comply with Russia-related restrictions, saying they risk criminal and civil penalties if they’re not doing enough due diligence to make sure every consignment they deal with complies with U.K. law.
The U.S. should ensure its export controls are not so restrictive that they harm the ability of American computing chip manufacturers to compete internationally, Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said this week.
The U.K. this week launched a new landing page that collects sanctions enforcement information from across the country's various government agencies, including penalty notices, annual reviews, case studies and lessons for industry. The U.K. created the site after hearing from companies that "easily accessible and consolidated enforcement information helps industry learn from remedial action," the government said in a Nov. 3 email to industry.
Texas resident Mohammed Aldalki is suing the Bureau of Industry and Security and CBP, alleging that they illegally detained his 2021 Mercedes before it could be exported to Jordan.