BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, and Volkswagen all rely on suppliers banned for using Uyghur forced labor, according to a report issued by the Senate Finance Committee. Interviews and documents obtained by committee staff show that Bourns, Inc., a California-based auto supplier, had sourced components from Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group, a company added to the UFLPA Entity List in December 2023, and whose goods are presumed to be made with forced labor.

After deftly avoiding the sanctions levied in the past on US Defense contractors by Beijing for their transactions with Taipei,  Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security unit has been placed on the Ministry of Commerce's “unreliable entities list" (UEL). In April MofCom sanctioned dronemaker General Atomics and General Dynamics Land Systems, while the announcement omitted Boeing, the maker of Taipei's Harpoon anti-ship misssile system.  The May 20 announcement reiterates the April actions, adding Boeing.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and three House Democrats criticized the Commerce Department for what they say are inadequate steps to address assault weapons exports. At the same time, the lawmakers praised the US Trade Representative’s Office for no longer classifying as trade barriers import license requirements for explosives, firearms and ammunition in its latest National Trade Estimate report.

The Administration is very concerned that China may try to evade the new 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told lawmakers Wednesday. The US Trade Representative’s Office, with assistance from the Commerce Department, is looking at how to ensure Chinese EVs made in Mexico are still subject to the tariff, she told members of the Senate Appropriations commerce, justice, science and related agencies subcommittee.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a markup to consider various measures on Thursday, May 16th.

The termination of general license 44A, which had offered temporary relief from Venezuel oil sanctions, reportedly has created a crush of license applications to OFAC.

The Justice Department announced a series of coordinated actions to disrupt the illicit revenue generation efforts North Korean information Technology workers, while the State Department announced a $5 million reward to help shut down the schemes.

In response to Ankara's suspension of trade with Israel,The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued an antiboycott advisory on Turkey. U.S. companies operating in Türkiye, in particular, are cautioned to be alert to their receipt of any requests to refrain from importing or exporting goods to or from Israel or to provide certification that the goods are not of Israeli origin or do not contain Israeli-origin components or materials. 

The Treasury Department issued the 2024 National Strategy for Combatting Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing, which provides a blueprint of the U.S. government’s goals, objectives, and priorities to disrupt and prevent illicit financial activities. The 2024 Strategy addresses the key risks from the 2024 National Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Proliferation Financing Risk Assessments  and details how the United States will build on recent historic efforts to modernize the U.S. anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime, enhance operational effectiveness in combating illicit actors, and embrace technological innovation to mitigate risks.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Ali Yagoub Gibril and Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, for leading the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) war campaign. The RSF’s attacks in North Darfur, which started last month, have caused dozens of civilian casualties, including children.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on two Russian individuals and three Russia-based entities for facilitating weapons transfers between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of 26 textile companies based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List.

Monday President Biden issued an order prohibiting the purchase and requiring the divestment of certain real estate operated as a cryptocurrency mining facility located within one mile of Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, as well as requiring the removal of certain improvements and equipment at the property. MineOne acquired the property in June 2022 and then made improvements to allow for use of the property for specialized cryptocurrency mining operations within one mile of F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a strategic missile base and home to Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.  

May 16, the Administration announced new actions to protect American solar manufacturing from Chinese competition, including removing the bifacial module exclusion under Section 201, announcing the end of the 24 month "bridge," permitting duty free imports from ASEAN suppliers, and enhanced monitoring of trade flows.

Former Rep. Mike Gallagher is joining TitletownTech, a venture capital firm started by the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft, as a senior strategic adviser following his early resignation from Congress.

Drones for First Responders (DFR) Act will  implement a new tariff on Communist Chinese-controlled drones and use the tariff revenue to establish a new grant program to help first responders, critical infrastructure providers, and farmers, purchase secure drones.

A bill has been introduced in Congress to close a loophole in U.S. export control laws that is being exploited by China, according to its sponsors.   The Remote Access Security Act will ensure …

Treasury is imposing sanctions on three Nicaragua-based entities, the Training Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Managua (RTC); Compania Minera Internacional, S.A. (COMINTSA); and Capital Mining Investment Nicaragua, S.A. The RTC is a Nicaragua-based subdivision of the Government of the Russian Federation’s (GOR) Ministry of Internal Affairs, and is a "key actor in the Nicaraguan regime’s repression of civil society and unjust detention and imprisonment of individuals for expressing dissent, or otherwise peacefully exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms," according to the OFAC statement. The designations of COMINTSA and Capital Mining target government-affiliated gold companies generating revenue for the Ortega-Murillo regime. Gold is Nicaragua’s top commodity export.

The President signed H.R. 1042, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, into law May 13, 2024.   This bipartisan legislative action prohibits the import of Russian uranium products into the United States as of August 12, 2024, while enabling a three and a half year waiver process through January 1, 2028.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated one Russian individual and three Russia-based companies involved in an attempted sanctions evasion scheme in which an "opaque and complex supposed divestment" could have unfrozen more than $1.5 billion worth of shares belonging to U.S.-designated Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The transactions was part of a scheme to repatriate some of Austria's  Raiffeisen Bank capital stranded in Russia.