The U.S. announced new export controls against Nicaragua this week in response to human rights abuses by the country's government and its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The measures, outlined in two final rules effective March 15, will put in place stronger Commerce Department export licensing requirements for Nicaragua and add the country to a list of nations maintained by the State Department that generally don’t receive license approvals for controlled defense items.
Exports to China
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a bill March 13 that would impose financial sanctions on people or groups that engage in anti-U.S. "political warfare," such as spreading propaganda, on behalf of a foreign government, especially China’s.
Although entities on the Treasury and Defense departments’ Chinese military company lists aren't necessarily subject to export controls, it's still very risky to do certain business with them, former Bureau of Industry and Security officials said this week. They said they would advise companies to treat those listed entities as prohibited Chinese military end-users unless they can prove otherwise.
Sai Keung Tin, a Chinese national, was indicted March 8 on four counts of illegally exporting eastern box turtles, a "protected wildlife species," from the U.S. to China for the "global pet trade black market," DOJ announced. Tin faces a maximum 10-year prison stint for each smuggling count.
Twenty-two Republican senators -- including the top Republicans on the Senate Finance and Agriculture committees and one of the front-runners to replace Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- argue that the "current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade."
The House of Representatives on March 13 voted 352-65 to pass a bill that would require China’s ByteDance to divest popular social media application TikTok (see 2403050063).
Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, introduced a bill March 11 that would impose financial sanctions on Chinese companies, government entities and individuals who engage in a “pattern of significant theft” of U.S. intellectual property. Curtis’ proposed ‘‘Combatting China’s Pilfering of Intellectual Property Act,’’ or ‘‘CCP IP Act,’’ was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, said March 12 that he's drafting a “tough sanctions bill” to help reduce U.S. reliance on Russian state-owned company Rosatom for nuclear fuel.
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To enhance U.S. and allied restrictions on dual-use exports, the Biden administration’s FY 2025 budget request, unveiled March 11, would provide $223 million for the Bureau of Industry and Security, up 17%, or $32 million, from the FY 2024 enacted level of $191 million, the Commerce Department said.