The U.S. this week sanctioned 16 entities and people that are part of an “expansive business network” that raises and launders money for al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida linked terrorist group. The designations target business people in Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and Finland who have helped fund the terror group, which has allowed it to kill “thousands of innocent civilians,” the agency said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control changed the heading of its Darfur Sanctions Regulations to the Sudan Stabilization Sanctions Regulations and amended other parts of the regulations to implement a May executive order that expanded the U.S. sanctions authority against Sudan (see 2305040037). The agency also added new definitions, general licenses and guidance. The changes take effect March 5.
An updated general license issued last week by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (see 2402290080) narrowed the scope of transactions that were previously authorized with Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronauticas y Servicios Aereos, S.A., Venezuela’s flagship airline, the agency said in March 1 guidance.
Several companies recently disclosed potential export control or sanctions violations or updated the status of their current disclosures, including several technology businesses, a pharmaceutical company and a cryptocurrency software platform company. The disclosures describe potential violations of U.S. sanctions against several countries -- including Russia, Iran and North Korea -- and one company receiving a no-action letter from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 29 updated a general license that authorizes certain transactions with Venezuela’s flagship airline. General License 45B, which replaced License 45A, updated and removed language relating to the types of transactions that are authorized with Venezuela’s Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, also known as Conviasa.
Companies should continue to see more Chinese additions to the U.S. Entity List this year, although Russia sanctions likely will continue to dominate the government’s time and resources, trade lawyers said this week.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week sanctioned Russian state-owned shipping company and fleet operator Joint Stock Company Sovcomflot along with 14 of its crude oil tankers. Deputy Treasury Secretary said the designation will deal a “huge blow” to Russia’s shadow fleet operations (see 2303230010), which it uses to try to evade the global price cap on Russian oil.
The U.S. announced a new set of sweeping Russia-related export controls and sanctions last week to mark the two-year anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and to respond to Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's death in prison. The measures include nearly 100 additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, more than 500 sanctions designations by the Treasury and State departments and new government guidance, including a new business advisory to warn companies about Russia-related compliance risks.
The U.S. announced a new set of sweeping Russia-related export controls and sanctions this week to mark the two-year anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and to respond to Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's death in prison. The measures include nearly 100 additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List and more than 500 sanctions designations by the Treasury and State departments in what the U.S. said is its largest single tranche of designations since Russia began the war in 2022.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 16 issued a new guidance document on U.S. sanctions against Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, to coincide with sanctions taking effect on the Yemeni group that same day pursuant to its formal addition to the Specially Designated Nationals list.