Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is continuing her campaign to keep U.S. defense dollars from being spent in Chinese research laboratories. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General is formally investigating the funding to Chinese research labs or other nations “designed to enhance pathogens of pandemic potential,"
The European Parliament has adopted a package of laws strengthening the EU’s toolkit to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing. The new laws ensure that people with a legitimate interest, including journalists, media professionals, civil society organisations, competent authorities, and supervisory bodies, will have immediate, unfiltered, direct and free access to beneficial ownership information held in national registries and interconnected at EU level. In addition to current information, the registries will also include data going back at least five years.
Friday the Department of Commerce released an interim final rule amending the Department’s licensing policy for exports of firearms, ammunition, and related components under its jurisdiction. Coming on the six-month anniversary of a controversial "90 day pause" in firearms export license approval, the new rule proposes significant changes.
Included among the munitions and TikTok drama, the foreign aid package signed last week has material changes for the sanctions compliance practitioner. Front and center for sanctions practitioners is the extension of the statute of limitations for sanctions (SOL) violations.
The United States and Taiwan, will hold another in-person negotiating round for the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade in Taipei, Taiwan, beginning April 29, 2024. The U.S. …
US International Trade Commission announced the institution of investigations and commencement of a preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty investigation imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value and alleged to be subsidized by the named governments. Unless the Department of Commerce extends the time for initiation, the Commission must reach a preliminary determination in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in 45 days, or in this case by June 10, 2024.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is sanctioning over one dozen entities, individuals, and vessels that have played a central role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale …
The European Parliament has given its final approval to a new regulation enabling the EU to prohibit the sale, import, and export of goods made using forced labour. Originally proposed in 2021, the rulemaking had been stymied by resistance from industry groups, with the final result lacking much of the efficacy of the US version, the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) makes changes to the Russia and Belarus sanctions under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to add a new license exception for EAR99 medical devices and related parts, components, accessories, and attachments for use in or with medical devices that are destined for both countries and the temporarily occupied Crimea region of Ukraine, or the covered regions of Ukraine. The purpose of this final rule is to authorize under a license exception certain exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) of “medical devices” that are being regularly approved and that advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. In addition, this final rule makes two corrections to the EAR related to Russia-related rules published in January, and March, 2024 by correcting an end-user control and adding a cross-reference correction.
A federal jury in Miami has convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released its 2024 Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of U.S. trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. “Many of the issues highlighted in the Special 301 Report demand collaborative efforts from our allies and partners,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai.
At Tuesday's meeting of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM), tensions were palpable. Key issues of contention included compliance failures with subsidy notifications and …
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo "affirmed their shared priorities for strengthening the digital economy, promoting innovation, and increasing digital trade and investment between the United States and Kenya," according to a readout from the Commerce Department, At the Wednesday meeting the principals "reaffirmed their intention to cooperate on establishing interoperable privacy regimes and facilitating trusted cross-border data flows." Later Secretary Raimondo hosted a roundtable discussion with several leading women technology leaders in Kenya to "discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s Digital Transformation with Africa initiative"
Today, the European Commission has initiated for the first time an investigation under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI) . This investigation has been launched in response to …
Tuesday the Treasury Department announced sanctions on Iranian cyber actors and representatives of Islamist extremists responsible for taking hostage U.S. nationals.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today announced that Katherine White will serve as USTR’s Chief Textiles and Apparel Negotiator. Ms. White previously served as International Trade Policy Advisor on the House Committee on Ways and Means.
The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 10 defendants in a scheme to illegally procure aircraft parts, including Honeywell Turbofan Engines, from the United States to service PDVSA’s aircraft fleet in Venezuela, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division announced the outlines of a voluntary self-disclosure progam in a statement Monday …
Luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd., its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi and Gonzalez’s associate Mauricio Giraldo were sentenced to prison today for illegally importing merchandise …
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced Tuesday that the United States has become an Observer to the Partnership Council of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA). The current IPETCA participating economies are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
