The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade issued new and amended open general export licenses and open general trade control licenses to stop new registrations for certain licenses to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, according to a Dec. 5 notice. The DIT is also no longer approving export licenses to Turkey for goods that may have military uses in Syria, the notice said. The changes are in effect “until further notice.”
An Iranian businessman was sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegally exporting carbon fiber from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said Nov. 14. Behzad Pourghannad worked with two others between 2008 and 2013 to export the carbon fiber to Iran from third countries using falsified documents and front companies, the agency said.
A Lebanese energy equipment company was fined $368,000 by the Bureau of Industry and Security after it illegally reexported generators to Syria, according to a settlement agreement signed Nov. 27. Ghaddar Machinery allegedly committed 20 violations of the Export Administration Regulations from 2014 to 2016, totaling about $730,000 worth of exports, BIS said. Ghaddar agreed to pay the penalty in five installments through November 2021. Failure to make the payments could result in more penalties, according to the settlement agreement, including a two-year denial of export privileges.
Apple was fined about $465,000 for violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations after it hosted, sold and “facilitated the transfer” of software applications and content belonging to a sanctioned company, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a Nov. 25 notice. Apple allegedly dealt in “the property and interests” of SIS d.o.o., a Slovenian software company added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List in 2015.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to sanction Turkey, saying in a letter that Turkey’s purchase of Russian missile defense systems should be met with consequences. The senators said Turkey’s July purchase of Russian S-400 missile parts (see 1907150039) falls under the scope of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act.
Indian companies are growing increasingly frustrated with restrictive Chinese market access, leading to a more competitive relationship between India and China and a closer Indian alignment with U.S. policies toward China, a trade expert said. However, although India shares U.S. concerns over China, it disagrees with the U.S.’s approach, preferring to engage with countries such as China and Russia diplomatically rather than impose sanctions on them, the expert said.
Turkey’s Ministry of Trade recently announced new customs guidelines about the agency’s procedures for “individual transactions” and “commercial transactions,” according to a Nov. 22 post on the Baker McKenzie International Trade Compliance Blog. The section on individual transactions provides “basic information” on procedures and exemptions, including those for vehicles imported without returns, temporarily imported vehicles, goods delivered through mail, special vehicles for “disabled persons,” household goods, cash and jewelry, the post said. The commercial transactions detail procedures and information on customs rules, operations, taxation and temporary storage of goods. The guidance is an attempt to “increase the efficiency and ease of customs operations,” Baker McKenzie said, and contains “simple and comprehensive instructions.”
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Nov. 25 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people and five entities related to financial, procurement and recruitment networks for ISIS, Treasury said in a Nov. 18 press release. The people and entities are located in Turkey and Afghanistan. The sanctioned parties include Sahloul Money Exchange Company, Al-Sultan Money Transfer Company, Tawasul Company, Ismail Bayaltun, Ahmet Bayaltun, ACL Ithalat Ihracat, Nejaat Social Welfare Organization, Sayed Habib Ahmad Khan and Rohullah Wakil.
An Iranian businessman was sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegally exporting carbon fiber from the U.S. to Iran, the Justice Department said Nov. 14. Behzad Pourghannad worked with two others between 2008 and 2013 to export the carbon fiber to Iran from third countries using falsified documents and front companies, the agency said.