The U.K. announced a host of new Russia-related sanctions this week, targeting major energy firms Rosneft and Lukoil, along with four oil terminals in China, 44 tankers in Russia’s shadow fleet and more. The U.K. also said it’s banning imports of oil products refined in third countries using Russian-origin crude oil.
China is looking to shorten its export license application review times, and potentially issue exemptions, as it approaches the Dec. 1 effective date of its new rules to restrict overseas exports that contain certain levels of Chinese-origin material (see 2510090021), a Commerce Ministry spokesperson said Oct. 16 during a press conference.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a long, "very productive" phone call on Oct. 16. In addition to talking about the ceasefire in Gaza and the first lady's efforts to get Ukrainian children held in Russia or Russia-occupied Ukraine back to their parents in free Ukraine, "we also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over," he wrote.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said Oct. 16 that he welcomes Senate passage of a bill last week to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China.
The U.K. on Oct. 16 amended one entry under its Russia sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated the listing for German Valentinovich Belous, director of Russian financial services company Novikombank, to describe his involvement in obtaining benefits from the Russian government.
The U.K.’s lead sanctions agency is expecting penalty decisions in a range of Russia-related enforcement actions next year, it said in its annual report released this week.
Poland on Oct. 10 sanctioned Armen Harutyunyan, who it said manages companies that export nitrogen fertilizers from Belarus to Poland and other EU countries. Harutyunyan is or was the owner or controller of Polish company TST PL, United Arab Emirates-based World Chem Trading Co. and Belarus-based Technospetstrading, Poland said. He's also the indirect owner of Belarus-based Technospetstradingexport LLC.
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) unveiled dozens of recommendations Oct. 10 that it said would make the U.S. arms sales process more predictable, efficient and transparent.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently updated its FAQs on the export control seminars that it holds for businesses and organizations looking to comply with the Export Administration Regulations or obtain continuing legal education credits. The FAQs cover who should attend the seminars, how organizations can request a seminar, how to partner with BIS on a seminar, what topics are usually covered and more.
Five senators, including leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Oct. 15 that they welcome the Trump administration’s decision to allow a sanctions license for Serbia’s majority-Russian-owned oil company, NIS, to lapse this month. Russia uses energy to commit economic coercion in Europe and sustain its war against Ukraine, said a joint statement from Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and others. They also said that Russia’s stake in the company undermines Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s goal of joining the EU.