On October 14, 2020, the U.S. State Department submitted to relevant committees of Congress the report required under Section 5(a) of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 (“HKAA”). The announcement of the report did not involve the imposition of any new sanctions related to China or Hong Kong, as
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Economic Sanctions
Commerce Department Further Clamps Down on Huawei
On August 17, 2020, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Department of Commerce announced it was tightening restrictions on Huawei’s access to American technology through a new rule that: (1) further amends BIS’ foreign direct product (FDP) rule to restrict Huawei’s access to items produced using U.S.-origin…
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President Trump Signs Hong Kong Autonomy Act, Issues Executive Order Authorizing Sanctions and Other Measures
President Trump signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and issued a new executive order, which collectively put into place a framework for the U.S. government’s policy response to China’s enactment of a new National Security Law concerning Hong Kong. Among other things, these new authorities authorize the…
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President Trump Signs Sanctions Law to Address Human Rights Violations in China
Posted in Anti-Money Laundering, Economic Sanctions
On June 17, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (the “Act”). The Act requires the President to submit to Congress within 180 days a report identifying persons responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and to impose blocking and visa sanctions against…
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President Trump Takes Aim at the International Criminal Court with New Sanctions Order
By John B. Reynolds & Will Schisa on
On June 11, 2020, the President issued an Executive Order (the “Order”), “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Associated with the International Criminal Court,” which authorizes the Secretary of State to impose blocking sanctions on certain persons involved in investigations by the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) of U.S. and allied military…
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U.S. Government Tightens Export Control of Direct Products of U.S. Technologies to Huawei and Dual-Use Items to China, Russia, and Venezuela
By John B. Reynolds, Will Schisa & Joseph Kniaz on
Posted in Economic Sanctions
On May 15, 2020, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an expansion of General Prohibition No. 3 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to restrict Huawei’s access to semiconductor designs and chipsets that are direct products of certain…
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OFAC Targets Russian Support for Maduro Regime with New Sanctions Designations
By John B. Reynolds & Will Schisa on
Posted in Economic Sanctions, OFAC
On February 18, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) imposed blocking sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (“E.O.”) 13850 against Rosneft Trading, S.A. (“RTSA”) and its president and board chairman, Didier Casimiro. According to the press release announcing the designation,…
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OFAC Lifts Short-Lived Turkey Sanctions
Posted in Economic Sanctions, OFAC
On October 23, 2019, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) acting at the direction of President Trump and in consultation with the State Department, lifted sanctions on three Turkish government ministers and two Turkish government ministries and removed them from the List of Specially Designated…
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Davis Polk Client Memorandum: United States Sanctions Turkish Government over Syrian Incursion
On October 14, 2019, President Trump issued an Executive order authorizing sanctions targeting the Turkish government in connection with its military operations in northern Syria. The U.S. government also announced a 50% tariff on imports of steel from Turkey and cancellation of trade agreement negotiations.
The initial sanctions announced by…
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U.S. Imposes Additional Sanctions on Central Bank of Iran
In response to what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called “Iran’s brazen attack against Saudi Arabia,” and following President Trump’s tweet ordering Treasury to “substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran,” today the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed additional sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran…
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