Hours after President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions, tariffs and visa restrictions against Colombia for declining to accept a plane of deported migrants from the U.S., the White House said Colombia reversed course and agreed to the “unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens.”
Companies that send tips about possible sanctions breaches to the new U.K. Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation won’t necessarily be notified if their tips lead to an enforcement action, the agency said in new guidance last week.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Jan. 24 officially removed sanctions from all people and entities designated under a sanctions authority that had targeted violent Israeli settlers and organizations in the West Bank (see 2501210023). OFAC “removed the West Bank-Related Sanctions program from its website and removed all persons designated under” the West Bank-related executive order 14115, signed by President Joe Biden last year (see 2402010053), from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. “All property and interests in property blocked under E.O. 14115 are unblocked,” OFAC said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Jan. 21 that she would favor reimposing sanctions on Iran for violating its nuclear weapons-related obligations.
The Australian Sanctions Office recently published a risk assessment tool to help companies evaluate the “sanctions risks” of a transaction or other activity, including whether the company should investigate further, obtain legal advice, apply for a license or abandon the deal. The tool covers activities with sanctioned parties, deals involving export- or import-controlled goods, the provision of sanctioned services and more.
The new Trump administration announced plans to redesignate the Yemen-based Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, subjecting the group to additional sanctions, financial reporting requirements and other restrictions.
China suggested this week it will allow its officials to carry out routine talks and other activities with new Secretary of State Marco Rubio despite the fact that Rubio was sanctioned by Beijing in 2020. China will ”firmly defend national interests,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a Jan. 21 press conference in Beijing, according to a translated transcript provided by the Chinese Embassy in Washington. “In the meantime, it's necessary for high-level Chinese and American officials to maintain contact in an appropriate way.”
Beijing pushed back this week against recent U.S. sanctions on a Chinese national and cybersecurity company for their roles in hacking the U.S. government and American telecommunications companies (see 2501170072), saying the measures are an “abuse of sanctions against China.”
President Donald Trump this week revoked an order from former President Joe Biden that had removed Cuba from the State Department's state sponsors of terrorism list (see 2501140080 and 2501170021). Biden’s order, issued during his final days in office, was one of multiple “harmful” executive actions that Trump rescinded on his first day back as president on Jan. 20, the White House said. The move is expected to reimpose certain export restrictions on shipments of certain arms and dual-use items to the island, along with other trade prohibitions and restrictions.
The U.S. will impose more sanctions against Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't move quickly to negotiate a deal that will end its war against Ukraine, President Donald Trump posted Jan. 22 on Truth Social.