Russia Sanctions:  The UK designated 63 individuals this week, including several war correspondents embedded with Russian forces in Ukraine that work at Channel One, a major state-owned media outlet in Russia.  The UK also designated one entity, Evraz PLC, a UK-incorporated holding company of a multinational steel manufacturing and mining company group.  Additionally, the UK made several amendments regarding previously-designated individuals and entities.

There is media reporting that the EU is considering announcing a sixth round of sanctions against Russia, but no official announcements have been released.  Still, a new package of sanctions is expected, barring material reduction of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

General Licenses and Clarifications:  The UK issued a general license to allow the continuation of business with the North American subsidiaries of the recently designated Evraz PLC until September 2, 2022.

The U.S. published three new general licenses (“GLs”) and updated two previously-issued GLs this week.  The new general licenses authorize: (i) transactions with Gazprom Germania GmbH (and entities owned 50 percent or more by Gazprom Germania GmbH) until September 30, 2022; (ii) wind-down transactions with Amsterdam Trade Bank NV until July 12, 2022; and (iii) certain transactions in connection with patent, trademark, copyright, or other forms of intellectual property protection in the U.S. or Russia.  The updated GLs: (i) added Sberbank Switzerland to GL 26A, which authorizes wind-down transactions until July 12, 2022; and (ii) clarified that GL 7A, which authorizes overflight payments, emergency landings, and air ambulance services in the Russian Federation, does not authorize any debit to an account on the books of a U.S. financial institution of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.

Export:  The UK announced a ban on services exports to Russia.  This will include a ban on providing management consulting, accounting, and public relations services to Russia, but the full scope of the services that will be covered has not been announced.

The EU removed Russia from all European Union general export authorizations.  Previously exporters were able to utilize the following general export authorizations for exports to Russia: (i) EU003 for items that are re-exported after being repaired or replaced in the EU, (ii) EU004 for items that are temporarily exported for the purpose of an exhibition or fair, and (iii) EU005 for certain telecommunications items.

The U.S. issued several new FAQs clarifying its export regulations with respect to Russia and Belarus.  These FAQs cover topics including: (i) licensing requirements, (ii) the license application review policy, (iii) the Foreign Direct Product Rule, (iv) the De Minimis Rules, (v) excluded countries, (vi) luxury goods, (vii) license exceptions, and (viii) updates to Country Group designations and the Country Chart.

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Photo of Caroline Brown Caroline Brown

Caroline E. Brown is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement and International Trade groups and the steering committee of the firm’s National Security Practice. She provides strategic advice to…

Caroline E. Brown is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement and International Trade groups and the steering committee of the firm’s National Security Practice. She provides strategic advice to clients on national security matters, including anti-money laundering (AML) and economic sanctions compliance and enforcement challenges, investigations, and cross border transactions, including review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom).

Caroline brings over a decade of experience as a national security attorney at the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Treasury. At the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, she worked on counterespionage, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism matters and investigations, and gained unique insight into issues surrounding data privacy and cybersecurity. In that role, she also sat on both CFIUS and Team Telecom and made recommendations to DOJ senior leadership regarding whether to mitigate, block, or allow transactions under review by those interagency committees. She also negotiated, drafted, and reviewed mitigation agreements, monitored companies’ compliance with those agreements, and coordinated and supervised investigations of breaches of those agreements.

Photo of Carlton Greene Carlton Greene

Carlton Greene is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s International Trade and White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement groups. He provides strategic advice to clients on U.S. economic sanctions, Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering…

Carlton Greene is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s International Trade and White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement groups. He provides strategic advice to clients on U.S. economic sanctions, Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations, export controls, and anti-corruption/anti-bribery laws and regulations. Carlton is the former chief counsel at FinCEN (the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network), the U.S. AML regulator responsible for administering the Bank Secrecy Act.

Photo of Anand Sithian Anand Sithian

For high-stakes internal and government investigations and complex regulatory and compliance matters, companies and individuals look to Anand to provide strategic advice and counseling, particularly on issues relating to the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”), economic sanctions, and digital assets. Anand

For high-stakes internal and government investigations and complex regulatory and compliance matters, companies and individuals look to Anand to provide strategic advice and counseling, particularly on issues relating to the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”), economic sanctions, and digital assets. Anand is resident in the firm’s New York office and a member of the firm’s International Trade, White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement, and Financial Services groups.

A former federal prosecutor, Anand leverages his government experience to guide clients through complex white-collar matters, including grand jury and regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings, and internal investigations. Anand has deep experience in parallel criminal and civil investigations and proceedings, and often represents clients in defending against civil lawsuits related to government investigations.

Representing some of the world’s largest banks and technology companies, Anand has addressed a wide range of issues, including economic sanctions, BSA/AML; economic sanctions and national security; payments and cryptocurrency; securities laws; and cybersecurity enforcement. In the regulatory space, Anand prides himself on providing commercial and actionable advice, including in the developing areas of digital assets, FinTech, and payments.

Photo of Rachel Schumacher Rachel Schumacher

Rachel Schumacher is an associate in the International Trade and Government Contracts groups in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office. Rachel’s practice focuses on transactions, investigations, and compliance and advisory matters involving a variety of government contracts and international trade issues.