A citizen of Ukraine last residing in Estonia, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, ffor his role in a scheme to violate U.S. export laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia. A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs.

Washington spent the week evaluating the President-Elect's cabinet picks, with responses ranging from relief and appreciation to "vomit in the mouth." Senator John Thune will be the Senate Majority Leader, and while the House of Representative does not name its leader until January,, Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to retain his gavel.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced a $178,421 settlement with American Life Insurance Company (ALICO), a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc.   While Snoopy may no longer shill for the insurer, persistent compliance personnel kept an over-eager sales agent from creating greater consequences. ALICO agreed to settle its potential civil liability for 2,331 apparent violations of OFAC sanctions on Iran.  The apparent violations related to insurance policies provided to entities in the United Arab Emirates that were owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.  

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against 26 entities and individuals linked to the Syrian conglomerate Al-Qatirji Company. The company is involved in shipping Iranian oil to Syria and the People’s Republic of China,.

Thursday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the "Roles and Responsibilities Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Critical Infrastructure" , a set of recommendations aimed at the safe and secure development of AI in critical infrastructure. The Framework was developed collaboratively by entities involved in each layer of the AI supply chain, including cloud providers, AI developers, infrastructure operators, civil society, and public sector entities.

Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has introduced the  the ‘Restoring Trade Fairness Act," laying the groundwork for revoking China's Permanent Normal Trade Relations status.   

The Treasury reversed its denial of an application in 2022 to host small group, direct engagement conferences which include the participation of sanctioned individuals.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is amending several Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) today, as well as issuing two new FAQs related to payment of claims.

In an effort to spur readiness in the west's inadequate icebreaker fleet, the polar states of Canada, the US and Finland have agreed to pool resources and expertise . The operational USCG polar fleet currently includes one heavy icebreaker commissioned in 1976 and one medium icebreaker commissioned in 2000.  Russia's Atomflot operates a fleet of seven nuclear icebreakers, with a further five under construction or planned.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) commemorated its 90th anniversary with substantial growth, announcing $8.4 billion in authorized deals for Fiscal Year 2024, supporting "around 38,000 U.S. jobs," according to a statement. The terms of Ms. Lewis, Vice Chair Judith Pryor and Board Member Owen Herrnstadt expire January 20, 2025.  These three seats, plus one vacancy must be filled by the president, with the consent of the Senate,  The term of former Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus ends in 2027.

Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Export Enforcement published an updated version of Don’t Let This Happen to You!, a compendium of case examples highlighting BIS criminal and administrative enforcement efforts. The publication was last updated in July 2024. 

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a final rule amending the Burma Sanctions Regulations to more fully implement the directives of Executive …

The proposed rule aims to prevent foreign adversaries from gaining access to sensitive personal data through various commercial transactions, such as data sales, employment agreements, or investments. To enforce the new regulations, the proposed rule includes mechanisms for issuing licenses for otherwise prohibited transactions under strict conditions. It also sets up a compliance regime to ensure adherence to the rules, with provisions for recordkeeping and reporting to support DOJ investigations.

A change of regime in Washington may change the degree of sanctions pressure on Russian Arctic gas projects, though the ultimate decider remains the economics.   With the White House encouraging  production and exports of domestic LNG, the incentives to make it easier for the Moscow regime to sell their gas may not be that pronounced. Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, spearheaded by Novatek, seeks to export nearly 20 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually to Europe and Asia. Strategically located on the Gydan Peninsula, it aims to leverage the Northern Sea Route to cut transit times. However, Western sanctions, particularly under the Biden administration, have constrained Russia’s ability to capitalize on its Arctic resources by limiting access to technology and financing.

Telefónica Venezolana C.A.  a Venezuela-based subsidiary of Telefónica S.A.  a publicly traded global telecommunications operator based in Spain, will pay over $85.2 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a scheme to bribe government officials in Venezuela to receive preferential access to U.S. dollars in a currency auction. Telefónica Venezolana entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Southern District of New York charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

 A Turkish National was arrested for his involvement in a complex scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions related to petroleum products from Venezuela and Iran.. The scheme included obfuscating the identities of tankers moving the oil by re-naming and re-flagging vessels, covering vessel names with paint or blankets, and turning off the electronics that track vessels’ locations for the safety of ships and their crews

Former President Donald Trump’s decisive victory in his bid to win a second term creates both uncertainty and opportunity for US trade policy, according to analysts and experts.  Speculation is rampant on the outcomes for Tariffs, FTAs, Climate Policy and The WTO along with fresh scrutiny of AML/CFT regulation and Nuclear proliferation.

On November the 25th, governments from across the world will meet in Busan, South Korea, for INC-5, the final stage of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. This session aims to finalize an international legally binding instrument addressing plastic pollution, encompassing the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Major changes are likely next year when Republicans take control of the Senate, especially on the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Mike Crapo ®-Idaho) is next in line to chair Finance, replacing current Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore). There will be new faces on the committee, as well, given that Republicans will gain seats. In addition, some of the panel’s senior Democrats will be missing. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), Tom Carper (D-Del) and Ben Cardin (D-Md) are retiring at the end of this Congress. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) lost his bid for reelection.

House China Hawks wrote letters Friday to industry leaders in semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME), regarding their businesses' sales to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). "The …