The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security leveled sanctions on trade and transactions with Crimea, the region Russia absorbed from Ukraine at the outset of 2014 (here). This final rule, effective Jan. 29, amends the Export Administration Regulations to require licenses for all exports and reexports to Crimea and transfers within the region, aside from food and medicines already permitted through the EAR. All such trade is now subject to a presumption of denial from Commerce, but the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control will still consider requests on a case-by-case basis, said the final rule. OFAC previously warned all U.S. companies to wrap up dealings with Crimea by the end of January (see 1412310011). President Barack Obama took executive action to eliminate trade with Crimea in December (see 1412190048).
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added individuals and deleted several entries on the Specially Designated Nationals list on Jan. 27 (here).
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added two individuals and one entity to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Jan. 16 over Kingpin Act violations (here).
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added one entry to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Jan. 14 over counter-terrorism concerns (here).
The Obama administration unveiled much-anticipated regulatory changes to U.S. trade, financial and travel policy, in final rules from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (here) and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (here) that take effect on Jan. 16. Obama announced the executive action to slash some Cuba trade and travel barriers in December (see 1412170032). The White House praised the Jan. 15 measures as critical to moving beyond a decades-old Cuba policy that has failed to benefit U.S. interests (here).
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added one entry to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Jan. 13 over counter-terrorism concerns (here).
CBP summarized the new features added to the Automated Commercial Environment after the most recent deployment on Jan. 3. The update includes new capabilities for manifest, cargo release, accounts and revenue and exports, CBP said in a CSMS message (here). CBP also added features "in support of the integration of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) into the Single Window," it said.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released on Jan. 5 a new format for the agency’s Specially Designated Nationals list (here). The change complies with a United Nations plan to create a universally accessible and understandable sanctions list, designed to better enforce sanctions designations, said OFAC. The U.S. is the first UN member to put in place this “advanced sanctions data model,” the agency said. The new format includes the following features, among others, according to OFAC:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized U.S. companies to wind down most divestment and dealings with Crimean individuals and entities through Jan. 31 (here), following recent executive action to quash imports from and exports to Crimea. According to the Dec. 30 OFAC general license, transactions and other dealings will be given the month buffer if they are “ordinarily incident and necessary” to the following criteria:
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control made changes to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Dec. 29 (here) and 30 (here).