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Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated five individuals and three companies involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network that supports Hizballah’s finance operations.
The designated entities are tied to a network managing commercial enterprises and oil smuggling operations in coordination with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to fund Hizballah’s terrorist activities.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) may be preparing for the elimination of the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) which have long defined the collaborative nature of export enforcement and trade security. Of the six TACs chartered, only one, Emerging Technologies, has successfully held a meeting this year. All other TACs have cancelled or postponed meetings for the first quarter.
President Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and automobile parts, including engines, transmissions, and electrical components, beginning April 3, 2025. The decision follows a renewed determination that such imports threaten national security by undermining the domestic automotive industrial base.
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday authorizing a 25 percent tariff on imports from countries that continue to import Venezuelan oil, either directly or indirectly. The proposed levies would increase the cost of goods imported from China to nearly 50 percent.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced a final rule March 25th, amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding 80 foreign entities to the Entity List. Sales to listed entities are presumed denied and require an export license.
The additions, published in the Federal Register, target organizations in China (42), Pakistan (19), Iran (2), South Africa (3), and the United Arab Emirates (4) found to be acting contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. A follow-on rule adds (11) Chinese and one Taiwan entity related to exascale computing development.
During the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) hearings on March 24 and 25, 2025, industry stakeholders expressed significant concerns regarding the proposed port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels.
The administration’s intent is to counter China’s dominance in shipbuilding and bolster the U.S. maritime sector. However, testimonies highlighted potential adverse effects on various U.S. industries. 
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