The top Democrat on the House Select Committee on China said he believes Congress will be able to overcome its internal disagreements to pass legislation restricting outbound investment in China.
The European Council on Feb. 2 renewed its sanctions on Zimbabwe for another year. The restrictions, which will now expire Feb. 20, 2025, include an embargo on arms and "equipment which might be used for internal repression" and an asset freeze on Zimbabwe Defense Industries. "Since February 2022 there are no listed individuals," the EU said, adding that it will "closely follow developments in Zimbabwe, with a particular attention to the human rights situation."
The U.K. on Feb. 1 added four entities to its Myanmar sanctions regime: the 101st and 77th Light Infantry divisions, Mining Enterprise 1 and Mining Enterprise 2. The infantry divisions were added for violating "the right of life of persons in Myanmar" and for carrying out arrests and torture "on the basis" of "political opinion, religious belief or ethnicity," the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation notice said. The mining enterprises were listed because of their ties with the Myanmar Security Forces.
The European Council last week added five people to its Guatemala-related sanctions regime, including Guatemalan attorney general Maria Consuelo Porras Argueta De Porres, three other people working for the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor's Office and Judge Fredy Raul Orellana Letona. The EU said they are "undermining democracy, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala."
The State Department is accepting applications for its Defense Export Controls and Compliance System 2024 User Group, which will provide feedback to the agency on DECCS functionality and suggest potential improvements. The agency’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will appoint 50 industry volunteers to the user group, all of whom must be enrolled with DECCS and represent companies, government agencies or third-party organizations involved in defense trade. Member terms will last one year. Applicants should email PM_DDTCProjectTeam@state.gov by close of business Feb. 29 with their name and company or government affiliation. DDTC will make its selections by March 31.
En-Wei Eric Chang, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Taiwan, pleaded guilty Jan. 31 to conspiracy to export defense materials to Iran.
- The U.S. issued a new set of frequently asked questions last week to provide guidance on its Jan. 30 decision to reimpose certain sanctions against Venezuela after it found the Nicolas Maduro-led regime has failed to take steps to hold free and fair elections (see 2401300014). The new FAQs outline how and when those sanctions relief measures will be revoked and what transactions will be prohibited. The document, issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the U.S. may decide to keep the sanctions relief in place “only if the representatives of Maduro follow through with their commitments and take continued concrete steps toward a democratic election by the end of 2024.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week sanctioned six Iranian officials with ties to cyberattacks against the U.S. and other countries. The officials work for Iran’s Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC), a government organization that carries out the attacks.
The U.S. last week sanctioned a network of companies in Hong Kong and Iran for supplying materials and sensitive technology for Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs. OFAC said the companies act as “covert procurement entities” for Iran and have helped the country develop its Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles that Iran sends to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
The Bureau of Industry and Security completed a round of interagency review for a final rule that could revise export licensing requirements for certain cameras, systems or related components. BIS said the rule, first sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in October (see 2311010008), will “better align controls with technological and commercial developments.”