President Donald Trump signed into law Aug. 19 a bill that will require an annual report to Congress on certain dual-use license applications, the White House announced.
The more than $140 million U.S. penalty levied on California chip firm Cadence in July (see 2507290026) is the latest signal that companies should prepare for increasingly "aggressive" export control enforcement, especially for violators of technology controls against China, law firms said. One firm said it shows that the government expects companies to provide access to business information located in China -- even if that may violate China’s anti-foreign sanctions laws -- while another firm said it highlights the challenges companies face when determining whether a customer is a front company for a party on the Entity List.
Miad Maleki, former associate director of the Office of Foreign Asset Control's Office of Global Targeting, has joined Ferrari, the law firm announced Aug. 18. Maleki will help the firm "effectively advise its clients on their sanctions exposure; understand U.S. government expectations with regard to addressing sanctionable conduct; and overall augment the firm’s understanding of shifting U.S. government policies driving sanctions actions," it said. Maleki left OFAC earlier this month.
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit launched a new "ultimate end-user screen" for exporters to complete when filling in license application details in its Licensing for International Trade (LITE) system. The new section, called "Details of possible ultimate end users," allows the filer to submit information "for situations when details of ultimate end-users are not or partly known," the U.K. said, including when a product is "onward exported and held in stock."
The State Department announced three-year debarments this week against 16 people convicted of violating U.S. export control laws. All 16 are “generally ineligible” to participate in activity controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations for three years following their dates of conviction. At the end of that period, they must apply to be reinstated from their debarment before engaging in ITAR activities.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., urged the Treasury Department Aug. 14 to sanction Iraq’s Al-Rafidain Bank for reportedly processing payments for the Yemen-based Houthis, which the U.S. redesignated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in March (see 2503040008). Treasury had no immediate comment on Wilson’s proposal, which he posted on X. Wilson, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, encouraged the Trump administration in May to sanction the bank for supporting Iran (see 2506040005).
The Senate “stands ready” to give President Donald Trump “any economic leverage” he needs to pressure Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Aug. 18 as Trump was planning to meet with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House.
Seven Democratic senators led by Arizona's Ruben Gallego urged the Trump administration Aug. 18 to sanction Israeli settlers who have blocked humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza or violently attacked Palestinian civilians, including U.S. citizens, in the West Bank.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week removed sanctions that had been placed on Claudia Mercedes Vargas Giraldo, who originally was sanctioned in 2017 for counter-narcotics reasons. OFAC had sanctioned her for ties to Juan Santiago Gallon Henao, a Colombian drug trafficker associated with the criminal group La Oficina de Envigado. OFAC didn't provide a reason for the delisting.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned four people in Costa Rica, along with two Costa Rican entities, for their ties to narcotics tracking and money laundering.