The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a North Korean citizen in Vietnam for being a North Korean political official and working for a sanctioned North Korean entity, Treasury said in a July 29 press release. Kim Su Il had “ties” to the Workers’ Party of Korea and is an employee of the Munitions Industry Department (MID), which is sanctioned by both the United Nations and the U.S. for being involved with North Korea’s missile program, the press release said. Treasury said Kim Su Il worked for the MID in Vietnam and has exported “anthracite coal, titanium ore concentrate” and imported and exported “various other goods, including raw materials, to and from North Korea.” He also exported Vietnamese products to China, North Korea and other countries, the press release said. Along with trading, Kim Su Il also chartered ships.

The U.S. announced sanctions on people, property and entities in Mali contributing to the country’s terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and human rights abuses, the White House said in a July 26 executive order. The sanctions impose asset freezes, restrict U.S.-related travel and block certain donations to Mali by anyone targeted with the measures.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued an amended general license on July 26 that authorizes certain transactions with Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., Venezuela's state-run oil company. General License 8B, replacing General License 8A, authorizes certain transactions made before July 26 that are necessary to maintain agreements with Venezuela. The license authorizes the transactions for Chevron Corp., Halliburton, Schlumberger Ltd., Baker Hughes and Weatherford International, the license says. The transactions are authorized until Oct. 25.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a Colombian national, his business associates, family members and a collection of shell companies that has propped up the Nicolas Maduro regime through food imports and distribution in Venezuela, Treasury said in a July 25 press release. OFAC sanctioned Alex Nain Saab Moran, nine other associates and 13 entities for participating in the scheme.

Britain published guidance that offers insight into how it would transfer European Union sanctions on Burundi and the Republic of Guinea into the United Kingdom's sanctions regime in the case of a no-deal Brexit, the U.K. said on July 23. In its guidance on Guinea sanctions, the U.K. said the purpose of the measures would be to lead the Guinea government to “investigate properly the violent repression in Guinea” on Sept. 28, 2009, and bring “criminal proceedings” on those responsible. The U.K. said the purpose of the Burundi sanctions is to encourage the country’s government to “respect democratic principles,” “bring about a peaceful solution to the political situation in Burundi,” “refrain from policies” that “repress civil society” and abide by international human rights laws.

The U.S. is extending a national emergency to continue sanctions on “transnational criminal organizations” for one year, the White House said in a July 22 press release. Under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the sanctions target criminal organizations that threaten “international political and economic systems,” some of which are “entrenched in the operations of foreign governments and the international financial system,” the press release said. The organizations “continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat,” the White House said. The first executive order declaring this national emergency was on July 24, 2011.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on a Chinese oil company and its CEO for buying crude oil from Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said July 22. The announcement sanctioned Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited and CEO Youmin Li, Pompeo said.The sanctions were originally announced by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 22, but the agency did not immediately release detailed information about the sanctions (see 1907220049). Pompeo said the sanctions are part of the U.S.’s “maximum pressure campaign” on Iran.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued an advisory on Iran’s “deceptive practices” in the civil aviation industry, detailing Iran’s use of commercial airlines for terrorism, weapons programs and sanctions violations. The eight-page advisory, issued July 23, lists several practices U.S. companies should be aware of to avoid violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The advisory also reviews the U.S.’s current Iran sanctions regime as well as penalties for committing violations.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on a Chinese national and a Chinese entity under OFAC’s Iran-related sanctions regime, the agency said in a notice. OFAC is sanctioning Youmin Li and Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited, an entity with addresses in Beijing and Guangdong, OFAC said. Both Youmin and Zhuhai Zhenrong were added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is inserting technical changes and adding references in several of its sanctions regimes, OFAC said in a notice in the July 23 Federal Register. The changes amend the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (GTSR) and the Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations (TCOSR) to make references to the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018, OFAC said. The agency is also amending the GTSR to “implement and reference” the Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act of 2018 and amending the TCOSR to implement a March executive order relating to “significant transnational criminal organizations.” The notice also makes several “technical and conforming changes” to certain provisions of the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations, which corrects two “internal references” and details sanctions exemptions that allow for U.S. compliance with United Nations regulations, OFAC said. The changes take effect July 23.