On August 5, 2019, the U.S. Administration imposed blocking sanctions on the Government of Venezuela (“GOV”) under a new executive order. Although named individual officials, the Central Bank of Venezuela, and Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (“PdVSA”) were already blocked entities under U.S. sanctions, now all Venezuelan government entities and state-owned enterprises are blocked entities. Unless a license applies: all property and interests in property (broadly defined) of the GOV within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked; and…

Late on Friday, August 2, 2019, the U.S. Administration announced that it would implement a second wave of sanctions under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) against the Russian Federation.  These sanctions will; prohibit U.S. financial institutions from participating in future primary issuances of non-ruble Russian sovereign debt; require the United States to oppose any new assistance to Russia by international financial institutions; and prohibit the export…

Over the last few weeks, the U.S. House and Senate have separately passed a number of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (the “NDAA”) that, if enacted, would expand sanctions on persons and activities related to North Korea, China, Russia, Burma, and certain Central American states.…

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) each announced changes to the Cuba sanctions rules.  OFAC is amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) to end group educational or cultural visits referred to as “people-to-people” educational travel, one of the major categories permitting non-family travel to Cuba.  People-to-people educational travel that was previously authorized will be allowed…

On May 8, 2019, President Trump issued a new Executive Order expanding secondary sanctions against the iron, steel, aluminum, and copper sectors of Iran.  The Executive Order provides authority to impose sanctions on foreign persons who operate in the covered metals sectors or who facilitate significant transactions in connection with those sectors.  Unlike direct sanctions (which have long prohibited unlicensed dealings with Iran with a connection to U.S. jurisdiction), secondary sanctions threaten the imposition of…