The U.K. on Oct. 15 added nine entries to its Iran sanctions regime and seven entries to its global human rights sanctions regime.
The Council of the European Union on Oct. 14 added seven people and seven entities to its Iran sanctions list as a response to Iran's recent transfer of missiles and drones to Russia (see 2409160005). The additions include three Iranian airlines and two procurement companies that transfer and supply the drones and missiles through "transnational procurement networks" to be used in the war in Ukraine. Two propellant manufacturers were also sanctioned. The individuals include the deputy defense minister of Iran, various Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps officials and the managing directors of Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries and Aerospace Industries Organization.
The U.S. and Canada this week designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, known as Samidoun, for being a “sham charity” that operates as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is soliciting public comments on the effectiveness of its export licensing procedures for agricultural commodities to Cuba, it said in a notice. The agency plans to include a “description” of any comments it receives in a report that it must submit every two years to Congress as part of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. Along with those comments, the report will include Cuba-related licensing data for the two-year period from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2024. Comments are due Nov. 15.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently updated a table on its website that lists which countries are eligible for License Exception Implemented Export Controls, an exception unveiled Sept. 5 that allows exporters to ship certain quantum computing items, chip machines and other advanced technologies without a license (see 2409050028). In a final rule, BIS said it updated the table on Sept. 17 by adding Denmark, Finland and Japan “to appropriate items in the table.” It also revised the table’s URL to be “shorter and simpler” and made other minor changes. The final rule is effective Oct. 16.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has completed a round of interagency review for a final rule that could remove export licensing requirements for certain spacecraft and related items destined to Australia, Canada and the U.K. BIS sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 30 (see 2409030005), and the review was completed Oct. 10.
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The U.S. will probably increase its use of sanctions and export controls no matter who wins the upcoming presidential election, although a Donald Trump-led administration would be more likely to pursue drastic measures that could accelerate U.S.-China decoupling, said Martin Chorzempa, a senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Those measures include expanding the use of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s foreign direct product rule or placing blocking sanctions on major Chinese companies such as Huawei.
The Bureau of Industry and Security appears to be making good on its pledge to step up export control enforcement to protect sensitive American technology from China, two former U.S. government officials said Oct. 15.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week added eight companies to its Unverified List after it was unable to verify the “legitimacy and reliability” of the entities through end-use checks, including their ability to responsibly receive controlled U.S. exports. It also removed two companies from the list after BIS said it was able to successfully conduct end-use checks.