The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 12 again extended a general license that continues to delay an exemption that would authorize certain transactions related to Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. General License 5P, which replaced GL 5O, now authorizes certain transactions with PdVSA involving an 8.5% bond on or after Nov. 12. The previous license was set to allow those transactions to occur on or after Aug. 13.
The Biden administration is “reviewing closely” the requirements of new laws authorizing sanctions on Iranian oil and “will ensure the rigorous implementation of their provisions” as they take effect, a State Department official recently told a lawmaker.
A new set of export controls on U.S. persons activities and other transactions could require “dramatic expansions” to some companies’ internal compliance programs, Akin Gump said this month, including additional compliance training, end-user certifications and greater due diligence of suppliers and customers.
Mark Dallas, a Union College professor of political science, Asian studies and technology, has joined the Bureau of Industry and Security on temporary assignment as a senior adviser, he announced last week on LinkedIn. While on leave from his teaching job, Dallas said he will work on China export controls and provide “support” in the agency’s Office of Technology Evaluation on “cutting-edge technology R&D in US, China and Europe.” Dallas, who is also a China fellow with the Wilson Center, also will help with issues involving “emerging commercial technologies.”
U.S. export controls are blocking Huawei's access to evidence that it needs to prepare for its upcoming trial on racketeering, trade secret theft and other charges (see 2002130045), the Chinese technology company said in a court filing last week.
A bipartisan group of 22 House members urged the Biden administration this month to investigate reports that Iran provided financial support to pro-Palestinian protest groups in the United States, possibly in violation of U.S. sanctions laws.
A House resolution calling for new U.S. sanctions against Venezuela has gained additional co-sponsors.
The U.K. issued a new general license Aug. 9 authorizing certain payments and "other permitted activities" related to the insolvency proceedings involving East-West United Bank. The bank is based in Luxembourg but is owned by Russian conglomerate Sistema, which decided to close the bank after Western countries imposed sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The license allows any individual or entity to "make, receive, or process any payments, or take any other action, in connection with the Insolvency Proceedings." The license expires Aug. 8, 2029.
Although U.S. officials say export controls on advanced semiconductors and related equipment are designed to slow Chinese technological innovation, those controls have so far hurt American toolmakers the most, a technology policy expert said.
The U.S., the U.K. and Canada last week issued new, coordinated sanctions against Belarus, targeting people, companies and entities that are helping Russia evade sanctions and export controls, funding Belarusian oligarchs tied to President Alexander Lukashenko or taking other steps to aid the Russian or Belarusian governments. The sanctions, which were announced days after a similar set of designations imposed by the EU (see 2408050008), were meant to mark the four-year anniversary of the “fraudulent” 2020 presidential election that helped Lukashenko keep power, the countries said in a joint statement.