The U.S. is extending until Oct. 31 the suspension of sanctions against the following Belarusian entities, which were previously scheduled to expire on April 30, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said (here):

No world economy raised the three red flags necessary to trigger increased U.S. bilateral engagement and possible sanctions to counter unfair currency manipulation through new procedures outlined by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, according to a Treasury report to Congress on the foreign exchange policies of major U.S. trading partners (here). However, Treasury has created a “Monitoring List,” including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Germany, which satisfied two of the three criteria.

The eighth U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue will take place in early June in Beijing, Treasury and the State Department said on April 26 (here). Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with their respective Chinese co-chairs, Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi, and a U.S. delegation will meet with Chinese colleagues as well. Although the official announcement states the countries will work on a “wide range” of economic and strategic issues, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman has indicated the dialogue will touch on trade, including illegal steel dumping, which China has been accused of on a massive scale (see 1604130043).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added one individual to its Specially Designated Nationals list under Libya designations, OFAC said (here).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added eight individuals and one entity to its Specially Designated Nationals list, under Kingpin Act designations, OFAC said (here). Separately, OFAC made several updates to the SDN List alongside the release of regulations to implement the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 (here).

All food facilities and livestock establishments that export to South Korea, including alcohol production plants, must now register with the South Korea Ministry of Food & Drug Safety at least seven working days before any import declarations are filed for shipments into the country, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau said (here). South Korea on Feb. 4 implemented the Special Act on Safety Management of Imported Food, which allows a six-month grace period during which unregistered foreign facilities may continue to export to South Korea without registration. The grace period expires on Aug. 3. The law allows South Korean officials to inspect food health and safety in foreign facilities after consulting with foreign government agencies and facilities before examination. The U.S. government is translating South Korea’s guidance on inspection criteria, and will provide it to industry when available, TTB said. Industry members can register online or by mail.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has removed several entities and individuals, and one vessel, previously sanctioned under the Kingpin Act from the Specially Designated Nationals list, OFAC said (here). OFAC also updated identifying information for one designee (here).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control will on April 6 implement sanctions against individuals contributing to unrest in Burundi, which President Barack Obama announced in a Nov. 22 executive order (see 1511270021), OFAC said (here). The sanctions block U.S. property and interests of sanctioned individuals as well as property and interests that come into the U.S. Obama on Dec. 21 announced Burundi’s removal from the African Growth and Opportunity Act list (see 1511270021). OFAC is publishing the regulations in abbreviated form to provide “immediate guidance to the public,” and will eventually publish a more comprehensive set of regulations, which may include additional general licenses and statements of licensing policy, OFAC said.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following entities linked to the Mexico-based Los Cuinis Drug Trafficking Organization to the Specially Designated Nationals list on April 4 (here):

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added four individuals and two entities to its Specially Designated Nationals list, under counter terrorism designations, OFAC said (here).