The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 13 amended two Russia-related entries on its Specially Designated Nationals List. The entries are for Russia’s 27th Scientific Center and the 33rd Scientific Research and Testing Institute, both of which were sanctioned in March in response to the Russian government’s poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny (see 2103020067).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 10 again extended a general license that continues to delay certain transactions related to Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.. General License No. 5H, which replaced No. 5G (see 2107210009), now authorizes certain transactions with PdVSA involving an 8.5% bond on or after Jan. 1, 2022. The agency also updated a frequently asked question to reflect the change. The previous license was set to allow those transactions to occur on or after Oct. 21.
The Biden administration expects to complete its review of U.S. sanctions policies this fall, the Treasury Department told The Wall Street Journal. The Sept. 10 report also references a letter sent to the administration last week by 46 humanitarian and human rights groups asking the administration to quickly finalize the review and implement changes to U.S. sanctions policy. The groups hope the completed review will allow them to better deliver aid to Afghanistan and other sanctioned countries, which has long been a challenge (see 2109020064, 2107200024 and 2105260047).
President Joe Biden extended for one year a national emergency that authorizes sanctions against “foreign powers” that try to influence or undermine U.S. elections, the White House said Sept. 7. Although Biden said there is “no evidence” of a foreign power successfully changing the vote tabulations or outcome of a U.S. election, the potential through a history of such attempts and increasingly sophisticated communications technology “continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy” of the U.S. The emergency will be extended through Sept. 12, 2022.
President Joe Biden renewed Cuban trade sanctions authorized under the Trading With the Enemy Act for one year, until Sept. 14, 2022, a Sept. 7 White House memorandum said. The act authorizes sanctions under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations.
The United Nations Security Council on Sept. 6 removed a Qatar-related entry from its ISIL (Da’esh) and al‑Qaida Sanctions List after receiving a delisting request. The UNSC will no longer apply an asset freeze, arms embargo and travel ban against Khalifa Muhammad Turki Al-Subaiy, who was sanctioned for supporting terrorist groups financially. The United Kingdom also removed the name from its sanctions list (see 2109070013).
The annual frozen asset reporting will be due by Oct. 15, the United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions said when updating the requirements for reporting document Sept. 6. In particular, HM Treasury requests that all persons who hold or control "funds or economic resources belonging to, owned, held, or controlled by a designated person" provide it a report detailing the assets by the Oct.15 deadline, using a report template available on its website. Funds frozen in the U.K. "as well as those overseas where these funds or economic resources are subject to" U.K. financial sanctions legislation must be reported, along with the value of those assets as of Sept. 30, 2021.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Sept. 8 released its annual terrorist assets report for 2020. The report includes an overview of OFAC terrorism sanctions, their impact, enforcement measures and a summary of blocked assets.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control said it decided to remove sanctions against three people and a vessel last week (see 2109020028) because “circumstances no longer warrant” their inclusion on the Specially Designated Nationals List, the agency said. The sanctions were removed from three Balkans-related entries and one vessel designated under Cuba sanctions. OFAC also changed identifying information for the entry for the vessel Sand Swan, including by revising its name to Ebano. It also updated identifying information for the vessel Tifon.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is seeking comments by Nov. 8 on an information collection related to its Rough Diamonds Control Regulations, the agency said in a notice. The collection involves the ultimate consignee listed on a customs form for trade in rough diamonds.