Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., said March 7 that his panel could soon consider several bills, including Iran sanctions legislation.
U.S. sanctions and export control agencies this week warned foreign companies about the risks they may face for poor compliance with U.S. trade rules, saying the government can pursue civil and criminal penalties against businesses for a range of transactions that take place outside U.S. borders. The new “tri-seal compliance note” published by DOJ, the Commerce Department and the Treasury Department includes a list of activities that most commonly place foreign firms at risk, outlines how U.S. export licensing requirements can apply to shipments through third countries, and summarizes recent enforcement actions taken by all three agencies to punish violators.
Switzerland implemented the EU's 13th sanctions package on Russia, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research announced March 1. Switzerland levied sanctions on an additional 106 individuals and 88 entities, as the EU did in late February (see 2402230020). The European nation also imposed additional trade sanctions on Russia, adding 27 entities to the export ban on dual-use goods and goods that may enhance Russia's military.
The U.K. this week removed sanctions from Igor Viktorovich Makarov, who was originally designated for his ties to companies in Russia’s energy sector. The U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said Makarov was a director or involved with Reywood Holdings Limited (formerly ARETI International Group), Vikay Industrial Limited and Selaco Limited, all of which do business “in a sector of strategic significance to the Government of Russia.” OFSI didn’t say why it delisted Makarov.
The State Department this week announced penalties on two people and three entities and their subsidiaries for illegal transfers under the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act. The agency in a notice said the parties transferred items subject to multilateral control lists that contribute to weapons proliferation or missile production. The State Department barred them from making certain purchases of items controlled on the U.S. Munitions List and by the Arms Export Control Act and will suspend any current export licenses. The agency also will bar them from receiving new export licenses for any goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The restrictions will remain in place for two years from the Feb. 27 effective date.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has asked the Commerce Department for several types of information to help his panel better understand how Russia overcame export controls and sanctions to obtain U.S. technology for its military.
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Russian citizen and Hong Kong resident Maxim Marchenko recently pleaded guilty to money laundering and smuggling after DOJ said he helped illegally ship U.S. dual-use microelectronics with military applications to Russia. Maxim was charged in September as part of a scheme that used shell companies to illegally source export-controlled items from the U.S. by giving false information to American distributors (see 2309190063).
Canada on March 3 sanctioned six Russian officials connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison last month. All six are senior officials of Russia’s “prosecution, judicial and correctional services who were involved in the violation of Mr. Navalny’s human rights, his cruel punishment and ultimately, his death,” Canada said. The designations target Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, Alexandr Vladimirovich Varapaev, Igor Borisovich Rakitin, Marina Andreyevna Bobek, Yekaterina Sergeyevna Frolova, Kirill Sergeevich Nikiforov.
The U.K. corrected one entry under its Russia sanctions regime and one under its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida restrictions list, in a pair of March 1 notices. Under the Russia regime, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected the national identification number for Vladimir Vladimirovich Mikheychik, general director of 224th Flight Unit State Airlines. Under the ISIL regime, OFSI added the U.N. reference number for Khatiba Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad (KTJ), a terrorist organization under the Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant.