The Bureau of Industry and Security announced new controls on technologies and activities that may be supporting foreign military-intelligence end-uses and end-users in China, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela and other “terrorist-supporting” countries. The agency also will bolster controls to prevent U.S. people from supporting weapons programs, weapons delivery systems and weapons production facilities, BIS said in an interim final rule issued Jan. 15. The changes take effect March 16. Comments are due March 1.
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
The Bureau of Industry and Security added one Chinese entity to its Entity List, another to its Military End User List and removed two Russian entities from the MEU List, the agency said in a final rule that is effective as of Jan. 14. The rule added China National Offshore Oil Corp. Ltd. (CNOOC) to its Entity List and designated Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Co., Ltd. as having ties to China’s military. It also removed Russia-based Korporatsiya Vsmpo Avisma OAO and Molot Oruzhie from the MEU List.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned seven people and four entities involved in a Russia-linked influence network aimed at influencing U.S. elections, OFAC said Jan. 11. The designations target former Ukrainian government officials Konstantin Kulyk, Oleksandr Onyshchenko, Andriy Telizhenko and current Ukraine Parliament member Oleksandr Dubinsky. OFAC also sanctioned NabuLeaks and Era-Media TOV, media companies in Ukraine that “push false narratives,” and Petro Zhuravel, who owns designated media disinformation companies Only News and Skeptik TOV. Also designated were Dmytro Kovalchuk and Anton Simonenko, who work closely with Andrii Derkach, a sanctioned Russian agent. Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a statement on the move, saying: “The decision to impose sanctions on Andriy Telizhenko for his role in these efforts is welcome and long overdue. By imposing sanctions on Telizhenko, the Trump administration confirms that Senate Republicans’ year-long investigation was based on Russian disinformation. In fact, Chairmen [Ron] Johnson [of Wisconsin, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee] and [Chuck] Grassley [of Iowa, the Finance Committee] cited Mr. Telizhenko 42 times in the letters sent as part of this investigation, and ignored repeated warnings to not give credibility to disinformation.”
The U.S. needs to boost its manufacturing capabilities, invest in innovation and improve its ability to export goods around the world, the President-elect Joe Biden’s two top Commerce Department nominees said. The nominees, Gina Raimondo as Commerce secretary and Don Graves as Commerce deputy secretary, were announced Jan. 8 by Biden, who urged the Senate to swiftly confirm their nominations.
The United Kingdom amended several entries under its Syria, Russia and chemical weapons sanctions regimes, Jan. 8 notices said. The revisions include changes to Kamal Cheikha’s entry under Syria and the entry of Russia’s State Unitary Enterprise of the City of Sevastopol (Sevastopol Sea Port). The other revisions amend seven entries designated for chemical weapons reasons: Andrei Veniaminovich Yarin, Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, Sergei Ivanovich Menyailo, Aleksandr Vasilievich Bortnikov, Pavel Anatolievich Popov, Aleksei Yurievich Krivoruchko and the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the creation of the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET), an agency that will “reorganize” the U.S.’s cyberspace and emerging technology security policy, according to a Jan. 7 notice. The agency said CSET will address national security challenges presented by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and “other cyber and emerging technology competitors and adversaries,” and will lead U.S. efforts “on a wide range of international cyberspace security and emerging technology policy issues.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Jan. 5 issued two new frequently asked questions and amended two other FAQs to clarify sanctions against Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The FAQs cover OFAC’s non-blocking menu-based sanctions, certain definitions and other sanctions clarifications.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some top stories for 2020 in case they were missed.
Russia recently extended its import ban on agricultural goods from countries that impose financial sanctions on Russia, including the U.S., according to a Dec. 21 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. The ban will remain in effect through the end of 2021 with no changes to the list of covered products, FAS said, which includes various meats, seafood, dairy products and vegetables.
The United Kingdom’s Export Control Joint Unit on Dec. 24 published a general license authorizing the provision of certain “technical assistance, financial services and funds, and brokering services” for energy-related goods. The general license, which will be available 11 p.m. U.K. time Dec. 31, applies only to energy-related goods not for use in Russia. Activities related to goods for use in Russia require an individual license, the U.K. said.