The EU Court of Justice on Sept. 10 said the restriction on providing brokering services in relation to military equipment to parties in or for use in Russia applies even when the goods were never imported into an EU member state, according to an unofficial translation. The court said if this weren't the case, then the "prohibition could easily be circumvented" by shipping equipment on a route that didn't pass through EU territory.
Indonesia opened a safeguard investigation Sept. 9 covering polyethylene containing 5% or less alpha-olefin monomers in other than liquid/paste form, it told the World Trade Organization Sept. 11. Parties wishing to submit comments on the proceeding should submit a written request to do so within 15 days from the date of initiation to the investigating authority, the Indonesian Safeguards Committee said.
China officially requested dispute consultations with Canada at the World Trade Organization Sept. 11 regarding Canada's upcoming tariffs on various Chinese goods (see 2409040007), including electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products, the WTO announced. If consultations have failed to settle the matter within 60 days, China can request a dispute panel.
Gal Haimovich, an Israeli national, pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to conspiracy to commit export control and smuggling violations for his part in a scheme to ship aircraft parts and avionics equipment from the U.S. to Russia, DOJ announced. Haimovich admitted to "deceiving U.S. companies about the true destination of the goods at issue" and attempting to hide the scheme by submitting false information in export documents submitted to the U.S. government.
The U.S. on Sept. 5 unsealed an indictment against Sam Bhambhani, a North Attleboro, Massachusetts, resident and salesman for an unnamed laser source supplier, for allegedly conspiring to violate U.S. export controls and smuggling goods from the U.S. by sending laser welding machines to Russia. Also named in the indictment was Maxim Teslenko, a Russian citizen, who "acted as a reseller of laser equipment to the Russian government."
The U.K. on Sept. 10 added three entries to its Russian sanctions regime and seven people and entities to its Iran sanctions list, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced in a pair of notices.
DOJ on Sept. 5 unsealed two indictments against dual Russian-U.S. citizens Dimitri Simes and Anastasia Simes, residents of Huntly, Virginia, for their role in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions.
The EU Court of Justice on Sept. 5 said that a notary doesn't violate sanctions on Russia by authenticating the sale of a property owned by a non-sanctioned Russian company. The court said that authentication services don't amount to the provision of "legal advisory services," which are barred under EU sanctions if provided to "legal persons established in Russia."
The EU General Court on Sept. 4 upheld the sanctions listing for Samer al-Assad, a cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after rejecting Samer al-Assad's claim that the EU's listing criteria, which permit sanctions on the president's family members, violates "general principles of EU law."
Switzerland on Sept. 4 indefinitely extended its humanitarian exemption from its sanctions regime on Syria. The exemption was first implemented by the EU in February 2023 on a temporary basis after an earthquake created a "grave humanitarian crisis" in the nation. Under the exemption, sanctions don't apply to "activities that are necessary for the humanitarian work of international organizations and some categories of humanitarian actors," the Swiss Federal Council said. The EU in May renewed the exemption for one year (see 2405280013).