The State Department last week notified Congress that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024 and isn't in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. As a result, the U.S. plans to impose new sanctions against Sudan, including restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and on access to U.S. government lines of credit, following a 15-day Congressional notification period. The sanctions will take effect on the date of publication of a notice in the Federal Register, which is expected around June 6.
The U.K. should change its foreign investment screening process to better support British technology firms and shouldn't hurry to agree to increased U.S. restrictions against China, the U.K. Parliament was told last week.
The Treasury Department issued a new general license last week that it said gives “immediate” sanctions relief to Syria, “effectively lifting sanctions” on the country in the aftermath of last year’s fall of the Bashar Assad regime.
A bill that would sanction Russia and its supporters if Moscow rejects peace talks with Ukraine had gained the support of about 80 senators, or four-fifths of the Senate, as of May 22.
The U.K. this week renewed its Russia sanctions license that authorizes certain payments to charities linked to sanctioned parties. The license authorizes transactions by interim managers or trustees appointed by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Under the license, which now runs through May 30, 2028, interim managers or trustees may authorize payments for the basic needs of the charity, to disperse charitable funds and to "wind up" the charity. The license was scheduled to expire May 30.
The EU issued a new set of sanctions this week for people and entities with ties to chemical weapons, human rights abuses and Russian "hybrid threats." The additions were announced concurrently with the bloc's 17th sanctions package on Russia (see 2505200057).
The Trump administration has assembled a team to implement President Donald Trump’s recent order to remove sanctions on Syria, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said May 22.
The U.S. is continuing to push Malaysia to strengthen its guardrails around sensitive American technologies at risk of being diverted to China, a top Malaysian trade official said this week. He also acknowledged that Malaysia and other Asian countries could soon be pressured to choose between either partnering economically with Washington or Beijing.
The Federal Maritime Commission this week launched an investigation on whether the vessel flagging laws, regulations or practices of foreign countries or shipowners, including the use of flags of convenience, are creating “unfavorable shipping conditions in the foreign trade of the United States.” The FMC said May 21 that its “nonadjudicatory” investigation will look into whether those practices or laws are violating U.S. shipping regulations, specifically referring to foreign countries that lower their shipping standards or ease “compliance requirements to gain a potential competitive edge” on vessels from other nations.
The U.K.’s Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation will begin accepting formal whistleblower disclosures June 26, the agency announced this week. OTSI will accept reports about a person or business “you think is committing a breach of trade sanctions that are implemented and enforced by” the agency. OTSI, a new agency launched in October, oversees and enforces trade restrictions for controlled goods and services moving or being provided outside the U.K. (see 2502140007, 2410100010, 2409130015 and 2502040042).