South Korea said it has “deep regret” and strongly protests Japan’s decision to remove South Korea from its list of trusted trading partners, which officially took effect Aug. 28. In a statement, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for “an immediate withdrawal” of the export restrictions, which it said were a “clear retaliatory trade measure.”
the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people and four companies for helping to move money between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp-Qods Force and the operational arm for Hamas, Treasury said Aug. 29. OFAC designated Muhammad Sarur, Kamal Abdelrahman Aref Awad, Fawaz Mahmud Ali Nasser, Muhammad Kamal al-Ayy and four Lebanon-based entities: Jammal Trust Bank, Trust Insurance, Trust Insurance Services and Trust Life Insurance Company.
The State Department is removing certain “lower performing radars” from the U.S. Munitions List and is extending for two years a temporary modification to Category XI, the State Department said in a notice in the Federal Register.
Nazak Nikakhtar is no longer the acting Commerce Department undersecretary for industry and security, a position she held as she awaited confirmation from the Senate, a Commerce spokesperson said. Nikakhtar is no longer performing that duty and is now focused solely on her role as assistant secretary for industry and analysis. Her nomination has not yet been officially withdrawn.
China is not looking to escalate its trade war with the U.S. and wants to focus on removing tariffs, not adding them, a Chinese government spokesman said Aug. 28. “We are resolutely opposed to the escalation of the trade war and are willing to resolve the issue through consultation and cooperation in a calm attitude,” said Gao Feng, a commerce ministry spokesman, according to an unofficial translation of a press conference transcript. “The escalation of the trade war is not conducive to China, not to the United States, and is not conducive to the interests of the people of the world.”
Almost half of companies that responded to the U.S.-China Business Council's annual survey on the business climate in China said they have lost sales in China since the trade war began. The most common reason is because of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports to China, according to these 100 multinational firms based in the U.S. Another third said they lost sales because of U.S. tariffs.
Canada’s accession to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty requires “significant amendments” to the country’s Export and Import Permits Act that will broaden its current export control regime, according to an August post from the McMillan law firm.
Japan issued statements clarifying its position under its new export restrictions against South Korea, saying certain export conditions will be tightened but others will not be impacted. The measures, which took effect Aug. 28, place restrictions on chemicals -- and other goods -- used to make computer chips and other high-tech products (see 1908020023).
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned five entities and five people for their involvement in procurement networks for Iran’s military, Treasury said in an Aug. 28 press release. The sanctions target two major networks led by Iranian nationals Hamed Dehghan and Seyed Hossein Shariat.
ExxonMobil is requesting that a court vacate a $2 million penalty imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control for doing business with Rosneft, a Russian oil company, according to a brief filed Aug. 26 with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.