The Commerce Department will not publish its long-awaited proposed regulations on routed export transactions (see 2007150044) this year and is experiencing delays on other rules, including another set of export controls from the 2019 Wassenaar Arrangement, a Commerce official said. Hillary Hess, the Bureau of Industry and Security’s regulatory policy director, cited a combination of internal BIS delays and a backlog at the Federal Register for the slowdown.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for Nov. 23-27 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Bureau of Industry and Security expects to roll out a more multilateral approach to export controls under the Joe Biden administration but does not expect any major changes to its China policies or Entity List decisions, a senior Commerce Department official said. The official pointed to the strong bipartisan support among lawmakers for Chinese sanctions and export controls, which likely will continue under a new administration. “I don't see that going away. I think the Hill is engaged. I think at least from what President-elect Biden has announced with his Cabinet, these are folks who are familiar with the national security issues,” the official, who declined to be named in order to speak candidly about BIS, said in an interview last week. “So I don't expect a lot of substantive change.”
Russia announced sanctions on 25 United Kingdom officials in retaliation for U.K. sanctions against Russia earlier this year (see 2007060025). “We once again call on the British leadership to abandon an unfounded confrontational line with regard to our country,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nov. 21, according to an unofficial translation. “Any unfriendly steps will not be left without an inevitable proportionate response.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two entities involved in the “exportation of forced labor” from North Korea, according to a Nov. 19 press release. The designations target Mokran LLC, a Russian construction company, and Korea Cholsan General Trading Corporation, a North Korean company operating in Russia, for exporting forced labor to generate revenue for the North Korean government, OFAC said.
Russia will impose retaliatory sanctions against Germany and France for European Union designations of six Russian officials and one Russian entity in October, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Nov. 12. The ministry said it will target senior officials in Germany's and France's “executive offices” who helped lead the EU’s effort to sanction Russia for the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny (see 2010080013 and 2010150008).
Danish state prosecutors charged a Danish holding company, its subsidiary and its director for violating sanctions against Syria, a Nov. 12 EU Sanctions blog post said. The company, which Denmark does not name, allegedly sold 172,000 metric tons of jet fuel to Russian companies, which delivered the fuel to Syria, a government news release said, according to an unofficial translation. The sales violated European Union sanctions and involved about 647 million Danish kroner, the equivalent of about $100 million.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for Oct. 26-30 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Bureau of Industry and Security revised its license review policy for items controlled for national security reasons and destined for China, Venezuela and Russia (see 2010230007), the agency said in a final rule released Oct. 28. The rule, which takes effect Oct. 29, said BIS and other “reviewing agencies” will determine whether those exports will make a “material contribution” to the weapons systems of the countries before approving the shipments.
The European Union applauded the ceasefire agreement in Libya but threatened sanctions if the fighting continues or if the United Nations arms embargo against Libya is violated, the EU said Oct. 25. “The European Union and its Member States call on all international and regional actors to support the Libyan efforts unequivocally, refrain from foreign interference in the Libyan conflict and stop the violations of the UN arms embargo,” the EU said. “In this regard, the EU recalls its instrument of sanctions against possible spoilers.” The EU recently designated a Russian businessman for violating the embargo (see 2010150010).