The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned four people in Mexico and 13 Mexican companies for their involvement in timeshare fraud led by Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a criminal group labeled a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorist by the Trump administration earlier this year (see 2502200019). OFAC said they work out of Puerto Vallarta, a popular Mexican tourist destination, and help to supplement the cartel's drug-trafficking revenue through timeshare fraud and fuel theft.
The State Department completed interagency review Aug. 12 for a final rule that would amend restrictions against Cyprus under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The rule, sent July 31 to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, could build on past measures to relax export restrictions on certain defense goods and services involving the country (see 2409260011), which have been renewed each year since 2020.
Malaysia's July export license mandate for shipments of U.S.-origin advanced AI semiconductors could be a precursor to the U.S. carving out Malaysia from upcoming rules on advanced chip exports, a former Bureau of Industry and Security official said.
The Census Bureau is finalizing a rule that will expand the types of parties responsible for submitting export filings for in-transit shipments that are imported to the U.S. from foreign countries before being exported to another foreign destination. The agency also is adding new language to acknowledge that those parties rely on information from others to make sure the shipments comply with export controls, said it plans to eventually move forward with a new country of origin reporting requirement for in-transit exports, revised its detention for "ultimate consignee" and made other clarifications to the Foreign Trade Regulations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week echoed earlier comments from the White House that said the administration is open to expanding its Nvidia and AMD revenue-sharing export arrangements to other companies or industries (see 2508120049). He said the U.S. is OK negotiating export controls over Nvidia’s H20s chips because they present no national security issues.
The European Commission this month updated its sanctions guidance on banned Russian diamonds, including sections related to tracing diamond imports, required certifications and verifications, resources for importers and more.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., urged the Trump administration Aug. 8 to consider imposing sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act against those responsible for transnational financial repression of Barlyk Mendygaziyev, a Kazakhstani businessperson based in the U.S.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the Bureau of Industry and Security on Aug. 11 to “move quickly” to remove its export controls on Syria to help the country recover from a 14-year civil war.
Two Republican lawmakers gave different views Aug. 12 on the Trump administration’s decision to allow Nvidia and AMD to sell certain controlled chips to China in exchange for a portion of their sales revenue (see 2508110044).
The U.K. on Aug. 12 amended or corrected a total of four entries under its sanctions regimes covering cyberattacks, Iraq and global irregular migration and trafficking in persons.