The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three Chinese nationals for their ties to a “residential proxy botnet” called 911 S5 that allows hackers to hide their locations and evade fraud detection systems. The designations target Yunhe Wang, Jingping Liu and Yanni Zheng along with Spicy Code Company Limited, a company used by Wang to buy real estate, and Tulip Biz Pattaya Group Company Limited and Lily Suites Company Limited, other companies owned by Wang.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control revised its Cuba sanctions this week to loosen restrictions on a range of activities and transactions, including for certain financial and internet services. Some changes will allow certain Cuban nationals to open and remotely use U.S. bank accounts and will authorize certain Cuba-related remittances and payments that were restricted by the Trump administration.
The State Department this week announced penalties on three people and two entities and their subsidiaries for illegal transfers under the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act.
A bipartisan group of six senators introduced a bill last week that would sanction Georgian officials for passing “foreign agents” legislation that cracks down on civil society organizations and independent media outlets.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China asked DOJ last week to investigate the Drone Advocacy Alliance for illegally lobbying on behalf of, and promoting the “interests of,” sanctioned Chinese drone company DJI, which also is on the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said the alliance is “funded and maintained” by DJI, and may be violating filing requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
U.S. lawmakers should finish pending legislation to restrict outbound investment to China so it doesn't leave the job of controlling such capital flows solely to the executive branch, a congressionally mandated commission heard last week.
The U.K. last week updated a general license and guidance involving its price cap and servicing restrictions on Russian oil. The country’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said the changes offer more clarity on certain exclusions and exceptions under the price cap, including by updating page six of the general license to clarify what type of services can be provided with Russian oil purchased at or below the cap. The agency also updated sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.4 of its price cap guidance.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control deleted two aircraft from its Specially Designated Nationals List that were originally added for their ties to designated Iranian airlines Mahan Air and Pouya Air. One removed plane has aircraft registration number EP-MND (linked to Mahan air), the other is EP-GOM (linked to Pouya Air). The agency didn't release more information.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission should push Congress to devote more funding to the Bureau of Industry and Security, Commissioner Michael Kuiken said during a commission hearing last week.