The first round of 5-day negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) concluded on August 20. In a joint statement released by trade officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada, they restated the commitment to updating the deal, continuing domestic consultations, and working on draft text. They also committed to a … Continue Reading
Status: Withdrawn; Abandoned & Restructured Acquirer: IDG Energy Investment Group Limited (Bermuda; Hong Kong SAR, China) Acquired: Assets from Stonegate Production Company, LLC (US) Value: Approximately US$278 million Industry: Oil & Gas… Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: NOVA Chemicals, Inc. (Canada); International Petroleum Investment Company (UAE) Acquired: Williams Olefins LLC (US) Value: Approx. US$2.1 Billion Industry: Chemicals… Continue Reading
According to a US International Trade Commission (USITC) notice published on August 4, 2017, the USITC has determined to remand an initial enforcement decision issued by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in the enforcement proceeding in Certain Network Devices, Related Software, and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-944. The decision by USITC could instigate additional rulings … Continue Reading
Status: Pending Filing Acquirer: HNA Capital Group Co., Ltd.; HNA Group Co., Ltd. (China) Acquired: SkyBridge Capital II, LLC (US) Value: Approx. US $200-$230 million Industry: Financial Services… Continue Reading
On 8 June 2017, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a settlement agreement with American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC), a California company, under which AHFC agreed to pay US$87,255 to settle apparent violations of Cuba sanctions. Separately, on 26 June 2017, OFAC announced a settlement agreement with American International Group, Inc. (AIG), a Delaware company headquartered in New York, … Continue Reading
On 2 June 2017, the UN Security Council adopted new sanctions targeting 18 North Korean officials and entities as a result of North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests. Under these sanctions, entities and people are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban in all UN countries. The EU’s implementing measures are Commission Regulation 2017/970, which amends Council Regulation 329/2007 … Continue Reading
On 29 June 2017, the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced a proposed rule that would designate China’s Bank of Dandong to be a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The measure responds to findings that the bank used the US financial system to facilitate millions of dollars … Continue Reading
In June 2017, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed coordinated sanctions against two entities from the Crimea Region of Ukraine and eight entities from Russia. OFAC added each entity to the OFAC List of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN List) and Block Persons under the executive orders implemented … Continue Reading
In a National Security Presidential Memorandum issued 16 June 2017, the Trump Administration outlined modest changes to US Cuba policy and forthcoming revisions to economic sanctions regulations implementing the Cuba embargo. According to the memorandum, the shift is intended to “promote a stable, prosperous, and free country for the Cuban People,” by, among other things, redirecting US funds to private … Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: AES Corp. (US) and Alberta Investment Management Corp. (Canada) Acquired: FTP Power LLC (US) Value: US$853 Million Industry: Energy UPDATE: On July 25, 2017, AES and Alberta Investment Management announced that they had completed “the previously announced acquisition of FTP Power LLC d/b/a sPower (‘sPower’) for approximately $853 million in … Continue Reading
On 27 April, the US Department of Justice announced the sentencing of Lim Yong Nam to 40 months in prison for conspiracy to illegally export radio frequency modules from the US to Iran. Separately, it also announced two separate sets of charges: (1) the indictment of Mark Komoroski for the alleged attempted export of two … Continue Reading
On 25 May, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 18-3 to pass S. 722, the Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (CIDA Act). If enacted, the CIDA Act would create new sanctions against Iran with respect to ballistic missiles and the sale of prohibited arms. The sanctions measures in the CIDA Act are ostensibly … Continue Reading
The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has posted long-awaited updates to parts of its website dedicated to guidance on the Export Administration Regulations’ (EAR) encryption controls. The updates implement changes to encryption controls adopted in September 2016, under the Wassenaar Arrangement. Among other things, the new web pages include updated flow … Continue Reading
In May, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a rare ruling reversing in part monetary penalties issued by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against California-based automotive electronics supplier Epsilon Electronics Inc. (Epsilon). OFAC issued a Penalty Notice to Epsilon in July 2014 assessing total monetary … Continue Reading
On 17 May 2017, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated for sanctions seven persons connected to Iran’s ballistic missile programme. Among those targeted by the sanctions are two senior Iranian defense officials, including the Deputy Director for Commerce of Iran’s Defense Industries Organization, Morteza Farasatpour. Farasatpour was responsible for coordinating … Continue Reading
