China this week criticized President Donald Trump's national security memorandum outlining a tougher approach to Cuba (see 2507010040), saying the U.S.'s "barbarian blockade and illegal sanctions" have violated Cuba's freedoms and hurt its people. "China firmly supports Cuba in following a development path fit for its national conditions, and opposes U.S. moves to abuse unilateral sanctions under the pretext of 'freedom' and 'democracy,'" a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said during a regularly scheduled July 2 press conference, according to an unofficial translation. "We urge the U.S. to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove the country from the list of 'state sponsors of terrorism.'"
Key Holding, a Delaware-based logistics company, was fined $608,825 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control to settle allegations that it violated U.S. sanctions on Cuba. OFAC said the company’s Colombian subsidiary illegally managed the logistics for 36 freight shipments from Colombia to Cuba.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s arms sales task force is considering recommending that the Trump administration create a joint “fusion cell” or office to help industry track the U.S. government’s review of defense export requests, a key lawmaker said July 2.
The Bureau of Industry and Security fined a California semiconductor developer and supplier $4.25 million for violating U.S. export controls against Huawei, saying it illegally forwarded more than 1,500 power controllers, smart power stages and related accessories to the Chinese company without a license.
Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order this week to remove certain financial sanctions on Syria (see 2506300055).
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, introduced a resolution June 27 urging the use of “targeted economic sanctions” against entities and individuals in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo who are “corrupt, obstructing peace, perpetrating violence, or committing human rights abuses.”
The U.K. on July 1 amended three entries on its Russia sanctions list by updating the listings for two people and one entity. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated the spellings for the entries of two individuals: Yegor Yurievich Karasev, executive at RNCO Banking Zone, and Anatoliy Moiseevich Cherner, deputy director for general-logistics and sales for Gazprom Neft. OFSI also updated the listing for the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed sanctions from Gold Miles Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company designated in 2023. The firm was sanctioned for being owned by Ireland national John Desmond Hanafin, owner of Huriya Private FZE LLE, which OFAC sanctioned for helping to move Russian financial assets into the United Arab Emirates. OFAC didn't release more information about the delisting.
President Donald Trump this week ordered his administration to evaluate existing financial restrictions against Cuba to help “channel funds toward the Cuban people and away” from the Cuban government.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned Russia-headquartered Aeza Group, a hosting services provider that enables cybercriminal activity, along with several affiliated companies and people. OFAC said Aeza Group is a "bulletproof" hosting services provider that sell access to specialized servers and other infrastructure to help ransomware actors, personal information stealers, and drug vendors evade law enforcement.