Chinese surveillance technology company Hikvision criticized an order by the Canadian government directing it to stop operating in the country (see 2506300022), saying it was based on “unfounded allegations of national security concerns.” The company said the Canadian order was based on the fact that Hikvision is headquartered in China.
House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., urged the Trump administration June 27 to impose several export-related restrictions as it implements new AI deals with the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
President Donald Trump on June 30 signed an executive order to remove certain financial sanctions against Syria and authorize the "relaxation" of export controls against the country, part of broader effort to support Syria's "path to stability and peace," the White House said.
The U.K. on June 26 amended various entries on its Russia sanctions list, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. The U.K. made changes to entries for 14 people that were originally sanctioned for undermining Ukrainian sovereignty through their work at the Social Design Agency, a Russian social media and marketing firm. OFSI also revised the entries for two entities: Rosneft Marine (UK) and the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
A large U.S. sanctions penalty earlier this month is a sign of the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s rising compliance expectations for investment firms, accountants, wealth advisers and other financial “gatekeepers,” particularly if they’re aware that funds may be indirectly tied to a sanctioned person, law firms said. The fine, which was the largest OFAC penalty since 2023, also could begin a trend of tougher enforcement on those gatekeepers, law firms said, especially if they rely on wrong legal advice or don’t fully cooperate with OFAC.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America and dozens of state and national-level trade groups representing shippers have signed a letter warning the heads of multiple federal agencies of potential supply chain disruptions that could result should tariff changes proceed as planned.
A Spanish national living in the United Arab Emirates pleaded guilty on June 17 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, DOJ announced. Sentencing is set for Sept. 30.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on June 18 removed one entry from its global anti-corruption sanctions list and added one entry to its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida sanctions list. Under the anti-corruption sanctions regime, OFSI removed Bosnian national Slobodan Tesic, who was originally listed for bribing both the former chief state prosecutor and minister of defense of Bosnia. Under the ISIL sanctions list, OFSI added Ugandan Abubakar Swalleh for acting as an ISIL facilitator since 2018 by providing financial support for ISIL in East and Southern Africa.
China on June 18 began issuing electronic “apostilles” for certificates of origin as part of a pilot program aimed at eliminating paper applications, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a regular press conference. The apostilles will certify the authenticity of certificates of origin issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and applications will “no longer need to go through any off-line procedures at consular authentication agencies,” the spokesperson said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week renewed a Russia-related general license that authorizes certain transactions related to crude oil originating from the Sakhalin-2 project, an oil and gas development business based in Russia, as long as the Sakhalin-2 byproduct is solely for importation into Japan. General License 55D, which replaces 55C (see 2411210020), authorizes those transactions through Dec. 19. The license was scheduled to expire June 28.