Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Hungary is filing a legal challenge against the EU's new regulation that aims to ban imports of Russian gas (see 2601260024), Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a Feb. 2 social media post.
The Council of the European Union on Jan. 29 added six people to its Russia sanctions list for their foreign information manipulation efforts against the EU, and it added seven people to its Sudan sanctions list for the "dramatic escalation of violence" in Darfur and throughout the country.
The European Anti-Fraud Office announced last week that it's working with several EU member states on an investigation into Russia sanctions violations involving illegal exports of more than 760 "transport vehicles."
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved several sanctions-related bills Jan. 29, including one aimed at Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers.
The Council of the European Union on Jan. 29 imposed additional sanctions on Iran related to its "serious human rights violations" and continued military support of Russia. The council added 15 people and six entities to its Iran sanctions list, including Eskandar Momeni, Iran's minister of the interior and head of the National Security Council, and various members of Iran's judicial system, including Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, the prosecutor general, and Iman Afshari, a presiding judge. Other individuals include IRGC commanders and "high ranking officers of the police and the Law Enforcement Force." The listed entities include the Iranian Audio-Visual Media Regulatory Authority, Seraj Cyberspace Organization, the Working Group for Determining Instances of Criminal Content and some software companies.
Sanctions compliance teams should prepare for heightened risk in 2026 as Russia’s “dark fleet” continues to expand and adapt despite a growing web of international restrictions, industry officials said during a recent webinar hosted by the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists.
Lukoil, the major Russian energy company sanctioned by the U.S. last year (see 2510220050), said it has agreed to sell its international business to Carlyle, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm. The deal is subject to approval by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Lukoil said. The company said the agreement doesn't include its assets in Kazakhstan, and it's continuing negotiations with other potential buyers.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged Arizona-based Rogers Corp. Jan. 27 to do more to prevent its electronic components from ending up in Russia's hands.
Risk intelligence firm Kharon said last week that it has found a network of shipowners and transport companies that are linked to Oman and the United Arab Emirates and have ties to Russia’s shadow fleet, and vessels appear to be increasingly changing their flags to Oman and transferring ownership to Omani firms to try to avoid detection.