The U.K. issued a pair of general sanctions licenses Oct. 15 allowing parties to wind down their positions with various sanctioned energy companies and Russian oil companies.
The U.S. is drafting a new set of export controls to use against China if Beijing follows through on its rules to restrict overseas exports that contain certain levels of Chinese-origin material (see 2510090021), senior administration officials said Oct. 15 during a press conference. They also said they're working to coordinate a response with allies.
The U.K.’s ongoing public consultation about how it can improve its civil enforcement of financial sanctions (see 2507220056) -- including whether it should increase its maximum penalty amounts -- could lead to “greater scrutiny” and more investigations, Akin said this week in a client alert.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced Oct. 9 that he's introducing a resolution that calls for applying “all applicable sanctions authorities against officials of the Chinese Communist Party, including sanctions authorized by the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.” The resolution accuses Chinese President Xi Jinping of "deceit, undermining prospects for peace and security, and orchestrating crimes against humanity." It lists dozens of examples of China's objectionable behavior, including supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, threatening to take over Taiwan, conducting “genocide” against Uyghur Muslims and violating its World Trade Organization obligations.
The Senate approved by voice vote late on Oct. 9 an amendment to the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would restrict U.S. outbound investment in China.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List a Turkey-based entity that had originally been targeted for posing a Russia-related secondary sanctions risk. The agency deleted three aliases for the entity known as North Star Shipyard, Kuzey Star Shipyard Denizcilik Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, and Kuzey Star Shipyard Maritime Industry and Trade Inc. OFAC didn't provide more information.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said late Oct. 7 that he hopes to have the Senate take up his Russia sanctions and tariff bill by month’s end to send a message to next month’s Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Canada.
The Senate voted 51-47 along party lines late Oct. 7 to confirm a group of nominees including David Peters to lead the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement, Thomas DiNanno to be undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and Jacob Helberg to be undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) has asked to begin a criminal prosecution of two Latvian nationals for providing prohibited project management services to Russian companies, violating European Union sanctions, it announced Oct. 1.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, proposed a bill that would require the executive branch to form an interagency task force to identify Chinese entities that could be sanctioned for supporting an attempt by China to take over Taiwan.