China's Foreign Ministry this week objected to Taiwan's recent decision to add Huawei and SMIC to Taiwan's Entity List (see 2506160008), and it criticized the U.S. for potentially pushing Taiwan toward the move.
A Venezuelan national and a U.S. citizen were arrested on June 13 and charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Venezuela by selling "chemical catalysts, industrial equipment, and associated services" to sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned steel mills and petrochemical companies, DOJ announced. The Venezuelan national, Juan Carlos Cairo-Padron, and the U.S. citizen, Thomas Fortinberry, both face a maximum of 20 years in prison for sanctions and money laundering counts and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
Ten Senate Democrats, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged the State Department to retain the staff and programs of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), whose duties include administering sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The Senate is getting closer to formally considering a bill that would impose a wide range of sanctions on Russia and its supporters if Moscow refuses to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said June 17.
The Council of the European Union on June 16 renewed the sanctions on Russia imposed in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, until June 23, 2026. The restrictions were initially imposed in 2014 and include a ban on the import of products originating from Crimea or Sevastopol and infrastructural or financial investments and tourism services from these areas. In addition, EU parties can't export certain goods to Crimean companies for use in Crimea in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors or for the exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources.
The U.K. on June 17 added four people, six entities and 20 shadow fleet ships to its Russia sanctions regime.
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A Texas-based industrial equipment supplier and its former CEO were fined millions of dollars for intentionally violating sanctions and export control laws, but the U.S. declined to prosecute its parent company after the firm voluntarily disclosed the violations and cooperated closely with DOJ’s investigation.
Joshua Kurland, a 15-year trial attorney at DOJ, has joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the international trade and investment practice, the firm announced. At DOJ, Kurland led the government's litigation efforts in many cases in the Commercial Litigation Branch, including over 250 international trade-related cases. From January 2024 to January 2025, he sered as a trial attorney detailed in DOJ's national security division, covering counterintelligence and export control matters.
Two leaders of the House Republican Study Committee urged Congress June 16 to advance sanctions legislation aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism.