The Bureau of Industry and Security is expanding the scope of its Russia/Belarus-related Foreign-Direct Product rule and adding new export controls on certain computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools-related software, the agency said last week. The FDP rule changes, effective Aug. 27, allow BIS to “more aggressively target” third-country companies procuring controlled goods that are indirectly sent to Russia, BIS said, while the CNC machine tool controls, effective Sept. 16, will prevent those tools in Russia and Belarus from receiving certain software updates.
Nearly a quarter of the 123 new entries the Bureau of Industry and Security will add to its Entity List this week are Chinese suppliers that the agency named in private red-flag letters to U.S. companies earlier this year.
Risk advisory firm Kharon said it has recently identified “numerous cases” of European companies directly and indirectly sending dual-use items to Russia, including through logistics firms based in the Baltic region and the United Arab Emirates.
Latvia citizen Oleg Chistyakov appeared in a U.S. court Aug. 21 after being extradited from Latvia to face charges that he violated U.S. export controls by shipping "sophisticated avionics equipment" to Russian companies, DOJ announced.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will add 123 entities to the Entity List, expand the scope of its Russia/Belarus-Military End User Foreign-Direct Product rule, add export controls on certain computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools-related software, and makes corrections to the agency’s Russia and Belarus controls, the agency said in two rules released Aug. 23. The Entity List and FDP rule updates take effect Aug. 27, and the new CNC controls and other corrections take effect Sept. 16.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., urged the Biden administration Aug. 16 to impose more sanctions on Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro and his regime for refusing to concede he lost the country’s recent presidential election to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
The U.K. added 20 frequently asked questions on Aug. 15 pertaining to its Russia sanctions regime, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. The questions cover a range of topics including securities restrictions, payment systems and financial services. The FAQs also cover the process for reviews and appeals for civil penalties and reporting requirements, which OFSI said requires individuals to report personal financial circumstances changes to OFSI "as soon as practicable." This requirement comes into play when the value of a party's economic resources changes by over 10,000 British pounds.
Data recently published by S&P Global shows which countries are supplying Russia with computer numerically controlled machine tools and components, which the U.S. and its allies have identified as a “common high priority” good that Russia is seeking to buy to support its military in violation of Western export controls and sanctions.
The U.N. Security Council, which oversees various U.N. sanctions regimes, needs permanent representation from African countries, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the council in remarks this week. “We cannot accept that the world’s pre-eminent peace and security body lacks a permanent voice for a continent of well over a billion people,” Guterres said. Although Africa is “under-represented in global governance structures,” it’s “over-represented in the very challenges these structures are designed to address. Conflicts, emergencies and geopolitical divisions have an outsized impact on African countries.” He added: “The message is clear. There can be no global security without African security.”
Bulgarian national Milan Dimitrov appeared Aug. 12 in a federal court for allegedly engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. export controls, DOJ announced. Extradited from Greece, Dimitrov is charged with conspiring with Russian citizen Ilias Sabirov and Bulgarian national Dimitar Dimitrov to procure "sensitive radiation-hardened integrated circuits" from the U.S. and export them to Russia via Bulgaria (see 2012210013).