The European Council added one person to the EU Terrorist List for his role in leading the Oct. 7 attack against Israel, the council announced. Yahia Sinouar, the political leader of Hamas, is now subject to an asset freeze, and EU operators are no longer allowed to make economic resources available to him.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., urged USDA and the Treasury Department to review how Chinese businessman Chen Tianqiao was able to buy almost 200,000 acres of Oregon farmland in 2015 without disclosing the purchase to the federal government.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Jan. 16 again extended a general license that continues to delay an exemption that would authorize certain transactions related to Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. General License 5N, which replaced GL 5M, now authorizes certain transactions with PdVSA involving an 8.5% bond on or after April 16. The previous license was set to allow those transactions to occur on or after Jan. 18.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is seeking public comments on an information collection involving notices of “material change” to a DDTC-registered company. Any company making or marketing items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and registered with DDTC must notify the agency “in the event of a change in registration information,” or if the company is a party to an ITAR-related merger, acquisition or divestiture, DDTC said. The agency said it needs this information “to ensure registration records are accurate and to determine whether the transaction is in compliance with the regulations.” Comments are due March 18.
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The EU should require member states to report Russia-related sanctions enforcement data, audit their sanctions implementation efforts and step up enforcement against violators, a think tank network said in a set of 11 policy recommendations for 2024. The group said implementation and enforcement of Russia sanctions “will be critical” this year.
The U.S. is likely to continue using export controls, investment restrictions and other economic policy tools against China this year, particularly as the upcoming presidential election draws closer, trade and economic policy experts said this week.
The House on Jan. 12 passed a bill aimed at helping the Treasury Department find terrorists, Russian oligarchs and corrupt government officials.
The House Select Committee on China has sent letters to the chief executives of U.S. chipmakers Intel, Nvidia and Micron Technology asking them to testify before the panel about the challenges their industry faces, a person close to the committee said Jan. 12, confirming a Financial Times report. A hearing date has not yet been determined, the person said.
India and the U.S. should aim for "economically meaningful outcomes" from better customs and trade facilitation, supply chain linkages, trade in high-tech products and trade in critical minerals between the two countries, India's commerce minister and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a joint statement.