Last week, among the flurry of new sanctions announcements marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the G7 announced the creation of a new Enforcement Coordination Mechanism “to bolster compliance and enforcement of our measures and deny Russia the benefits of G7 economies.” The International Group of Seven (“G7”) is an intergovernmental forum whose members include the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan, with the European Union as a “non-enumerated”…
On February 17, the Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) in the US Commerce Department announced that it is expediting the processing of export license applications for items needed to aid survivors of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria through NGOs. While most items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) do not require licenses for export to Türkiye, Syria is subject to comprehensive US export controls and, as such, items subject to the EAR…
On February 9, 2023, the United States and the United Kingdom designated seven Russian individuals that have been associated with the development or deployment of a range of ransomware strains which have targeted the UK and the US. This is the first time that the UK has made designations under its Cyber (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued this press release in tandem…
On February 9, 2023, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued Syria General License 23, “Authorizing Transactions Related to Earthquake Relief Efforts in Syria.” General License 23 authorizes transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Syria that would otherwise be prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (“SySR”) through 12:01 p.m. eastern daylight time, August 8, 2023. General License 23 does not authorize importation of petroleum or petroleum products of…