Recent Chinese sanctions against American drone-maker Skydio will limit the company’s battery supply, the firm’s CEO said this week, calling the restrictions an “attempt to eliminate the leading American drone company and deepen the world’s dependence on Chinese drone suppliers.”

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned five people and two companies for their ties to La Linea, which OFAC said is a “violent” Mexican drug trafficking group that moves fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S.

New U.S. guidance for the ocean shipping industry outlines several example scenarios of foreign shipowners, shipping companies, tanker vessels and others looking to evade sanctions. The guidance, issued Oct. 31 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, is designed to help ocean shipping industry officials recognize new or common “fact patterns that may be indicative of sanctions evasion,” OFAC said, or help them address common due diligence issues while trying to comply with U.S. sanctions.

Switzerland adopted a set of recent EU sanctions against Belarus on Oct. 30, bringing the country in line with the EU’s so-called “No-Belarus clause,” which requires companies to insert language in new contracts to signal certain products can’t be sent to Belarus (see 2407010025). Switzerland also adopted EU sanctions that impose restrictions on investments in companies in the Belarusian energy sector; trade bans on luxury goods, gold, diamonds, coal and crude oil from Belarus; and more.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is “glad” the Biden administration is moving forward with a final rule that will restrict U.S. outbound investment in China’s AI, quantum and semiconductor sectors, a spokesperson for the committee’s majority said Oct. 30.

The Financial Action Task Force recently updated its list of jurisdictions with “deficiencies” in combating terrorism financing, weapons proliferation and other sanctions-related issues, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said Oct 30. The FATF added Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire and Lebanon to its list of "Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring" and removed Senegal from the list. The FATF’s list of "High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action" remains the same and still lists Iran, North Korea and Myanmar.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is imposing export controls on nine “key” precursors that Russia has used in chemical weapons against Ukraine, the agency said in a final rule that becomes effective Nov. 1. The rule also updates certain language in BIS regulations that it said will reduce the “licensing burden” for certain government entities located in Russia and Belarus, and it clarifies the scope of the agency's foreign direct product rules.

The U.S. this week unveiled new trade and financial restrictions against people and companies across more than 17 countries for helping Russia evade sanctions or for supporting the country’s military, adding nearly 400 to the Treasury Department’s sanctions list and more than 40 to the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Another move by Commerce will tighten existing controls on nearly 50 entities that it said are procuring U.S.-branded microelectronics for Russia.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., urged the Biden administration last week to impose “terrorism sanctions” on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), citing the humanitarian aid agency’s ties to Hamas.

The Treasury Department's new final rule for outbound investment received mixed reviews from Congress this week.