The U.K. on May 17 corrected one entry under its sanctions regime for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and another under its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime. The changes update identifying information for Sylvestre Mudacumura, commander of the FDLR-FOCA armed rebel group in Congo, and Radulan Sahiron, who is wanted by the Philippines for terrorism offenses.
The EU General Court on May 15 rejected the Russian Direct Investment Fund's (RDIF's) challenge to the bloc's prohibition on investing in projects financed by the fund.
Trade groups representing the ocean freight and logistics industry are warning businesses about a new set of import rules that will soon apply to goods moving into or through Europe. They said companies that don’t comply with the rules when they take effect next month could face shipping disruptions or fines.
The U.K. on May 16 renewed a general license under its Russian sanctions regime that allows British citizens to buy tickets from a sanctioned party for "flights or rail journeys originating in, or within, Russia." It also authorizes activities "reasonably necessary to effect the purchase of such tickets for flights or rail journeys." The license was scheduled to expire May 23 and now runs until May 23, 2026.
Lithuania's customs agency fined an unnamed Lithuanian company over $357,000 for buying and importing goods from sanctioned Russian companies "Nizhnekamsktekhuglerod" and "Nizhnekamskneftekhim," according to an unofficial translation. The former is a technology company, the latter makes synthetic rubber and plastics.
A recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling could have implications for how certain sanctions-related payment issues are treated under force majeure clauses in contracts.
The U.K. on May 15 issued an open general export license related to exports of military goods for exhibition. The license includes a list of goods that can be exported to "a destination in any country," except for 91 countries, "providing they are being exported for the purpose of exhibition, and are to be returned to the United Kingdom." The license covers cluster munitions, explosive submunitions, anti-personnel landmines and explosive bomblets, among other products. Countries where the goods may not be shipped include China, Iran, North Korea and others listed on page nine of the license.
The European Commission on May 14 extended its antidumping duties on birch plywood from Russia to cover goods from Kazakhstan and Turkey. The extension was made after an investigation showed that the duties were being circumvented by "imports transshipped from Russia" to Kazakhstan and Turkey, "or sent for final completion to these countries," before shipment to the EU. The commission said Russian birch plywood makers have been trying to find new ways to sell their goods since imports of birch plywood from Russia were banned after that country's invasion of Ukraine.
A Swiss university said it’s reviewing any possible ongoing cooperation with Iranian researchers after United Against Nuclear Iran said the Iranian military is exploiting partnerships between Iranian universities and Swiss learning institutions to obtain sensitive research and technology (see 2405100023). A spokesperson for Switzerland-based University of Boras said the college “previously collaborated” with an Iranian university mentioned in UANI’s report, but that collaboration ended in 2022.
The European Council on May 14 broadened the scope of its sanctions framework on Iran due to that nation's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The council expanded the bloc's ability to impose sanctions on not only unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) but "missiles too." The EU can now target individuals and entities "supplying, selling or otherwise being involved in transferring Iran's missiles and UAVs" in support of the war in Ukraine or used by armed groups that undermine security in the Middle East and Red Sea region. The council also barred the export of components used in the "development and production of UAVs from the EU to Iran."