Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, said Aug. 21 that the House should take up his Russia sanctions bill if Moscow doesn’t negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
The EU and the Czech Republic should reject India-based Aurobindo Pharma’s proposed $5.5 billion acquisition of Prague-based Zentiva, the Coalition for a Prosperous America said Aug. 20, arguing that the deal would threaten European pharmaceutical security because of Aurobindo’s connection to China.
The U.S. this week sanctioned Greek national Antonios Margaritis, his network of companies and other businesses, and vessels shipping Iranian energy products.
The U.K. this week sanctioned one person and four entities for supporting the government of Iran and "fuelling its attempts to undermine stability in the Middle East and global security." The designations target Hossein Shamkhani and subject him to director disqualification restrictions, which ban him from operating as a director of any U.K. company. The U.K. also sanctioned Admiral Shipping Group, Milavous Group, Ocean Leonid Investments and Petrochemical Commercial Co.
The U.K. this week sanctioned several entities and people tied to a Kyrgyzstan-based financial network helping Russia evade sanctions, including through the use of cryptocurrency.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week removed sanctions from a Cypriot company -- along with one of its senior officials -- that it designated in 2021 for its ties to the Alexander Lukashenko regime in Belarus.
The State and Treasury departments should create a sanctions program to address illegal gold mining and other environmental crimes in the Western Hemisphere, said the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition in a new report Aug. 20.
The EU will buy at least $40 billion worth of advanced American AI chips, will strengthen cooperation on export controls and investment screening, and will eliminate tariffs on U.S. industrial and other goods, the two sides said as part of a trade framework announced this week. The EU also committed to "substantially” increase purchases of U.S. defense equipment and said it will work to limit adverse effects of new supply chain due diligence rules and carbon border taxes on U.S. exporters.
Switzerland is asking exporters to strengthen their compliance procedures to protect against sanctions evaders that are increasingly looking to buy Swiss-origin machine tools, the country said in new guidance published this week.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Aug. 19 he is optimistic the Trump administration’s new trade deal with the EU will help peanut farmers in his state increase their exports to Europe.