The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control removed sanctions imposed on Ventspils Freeport Authority and amended a general license to reflect the change, according to a Dec. 18 notice. Ventspils was designated Dec. 9 for being owned by a sanctioned Latvian oligarch (see 1912090019), but is being removed from U.S. sanctions because the Latvian government passed legislation “effectively ending” the oligarch’s ownership, Treasury said in a Dec. 18 press release. OFAC also replaced Global Magnitsky General License 1 with General License 1A, which removes any mention of the Ventspils Freeport Authority.
The State Department issued a Dec. 16 sanctions advisory about exports of graphite electrodes and needle coke to Iran, saying those materials subject exporters to “significant sanctions risk.” Both materials are “essential” to Iran’s steel industry, the State Department said, which is sanctioned by the U.S. Sanctions extend to producers and exporters of the materials along with “port operators, shippers, shipping companies, and vessel operators and owners,” who may be subject to blocking sanctions, even if the intended end-user is not in Iran’s steel sector.
China and Russia proposed a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council to ease sanctions on North Korea, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said at a Dec. 17 press conference. China said it wants to denuclearize the Korean peninsula through continued negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea, which should result in the removal of sanctions. “Some sanctions should be lifted in light of [North Korea’s] compliance with relevant resolutions,” the spokesman said. “China hopes the Security Council members will … support the draft resolution proposed by China and Russia and jointly work for political settlement of the Peninsula issue.” Along with lifting sanctions, the proposal submitted by China and Russia calls for the removal of a ban on North Korean exports of statues, seafood and textiles, according to a Dec. 17 report from Reuters.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation released a Dec. 17 guidance on determining whether a sanctioned entity is involved in a transaction. The guidance contains links to OFSI’s consolidated list and describes difficulties that may rise when screening certain companies, including complicated ownership stakes and the use of shell companies. The guidance details a case study involving the Libya African Investment Portfolio and the Libyan Investment Authority, two sanctioned entities with hotel subsidiaries that may avoid screening detection. The guidance also offers advice for steps to take after discovering a sanctioned entity in a transaction.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two South Sudan officials for obstructing peace talks, Treasury said in a Dec. 16 press release. OFAC targeted the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro and Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Kuol Manyang Juuk, who have both “perpetuated” the country’s “conflict for their own personal enrichment,” the press release said.
The European Union will renew sanctions against Russia for another six months, the European Council decided Dec. 13, according to a press release. The sanctions, targeting Russia’s financial, energy and defense sectors, were due to expire in January, according to the EU Sanctions blog.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people involved in money laundering in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as 17 entities and one vessel, Treasury said in a Dec. 13 press release. OFAC also issued three new counterterrorism-related frequently asked questions.
A Texas aviation consultant violated U.S. terrorism sanctions when it entered into a contract with Mahan Air, Iran’s sanctioned airline, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a Dec. 12 notice. The company, Aero Sky Aircraft Maintenance, was issued a finding of violation by OFAC after it violated U.S. Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations in 2016 for “dealing in the property and interests in property” of Mahan Air, the notice said. Aero Sky eventually filed for bankruptcy and dissolved, Treasury said. OFAC released details of the violations because they would have “justified a strong civil monetary penalty.”
The State Department announced sanctions on three Iranian entities linked to weapons proliferation and eight entities involved in weapons smuggling from Iran to Yemen, the agency said Dec. 11. The announcement targets the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), its China-based subsidiary, E-Sail Shipping Company, and the Iranian airline Mahan Air. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control previously sanctioned E-Sail in 2018, Mahan Air in 2011 and IRISL in 2008.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued two Iran-related frequently asked questions to address its Dec. 11 designations of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and E-Sail Shipping Limited (see 1912110024). In FAQ 810, OFAC said the two entities are also subject to prohibitions under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations due to their designation by the State Department. In FAQ 811, OFAC specified that license exceptions for exports of food, medicine and other humanitarian items generally do not apply to parties sanctioned for weapons proliferation activities. U.S. exporters will not be able to ship “agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices” to IRISL and E-Sail, OFAC said. Exporters who ship those items “risk exposure to sanctions under additional authorities.” To avoid risks, U.S. exporters should make sure sales of those goods are completed no later than June 8, 2020, when the designations take effect, OFAC said.