The Office of Foreign Assets Control dropped ten Colombian individuals from its Specially Designated Nationals list on Oct. 15 (here). OFAC originally placed those individuals on the list over narcotics allegations. The agency has steadily dropped Colombian individuals and entities from the SDN list over recent months, while continuing to add some individuals and entities (see 1506250001 and 1506080019).

U.S. individuals and companies are now barred from dealing with Chinese-based Kaikai Technology after the Office of Foreign Assets Control on Oct. 15 put the company and owner Bo Peng, a Chinese national, on the Specially Designated Nationals list under authorities provided by the Kingpin Act, the agency said (here). OFAC labeled Kaikai a “purported pharmaceutical and chemical products company” that has exported large amounts of synthetic drugs, including stimulants and marijuana. A grand jury in a Florida district court indicted Peng on charges of “importing and conspiring to import ethylone and the Schedule I controlled substance methylone,” said OFAC. The OFAC action freezes all Kaikai and Peng assets in the U.S.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control made recent additions to its Specially Designated Nationals list due to Kingpin Act violations (here). Effective Oct. 7, the agency added three Honduran individuals to the SDN list and nearly a dozen companies, as follows:

The Office of Foreign Assets Control made several recent additions to its Specially Designated Nationals list due to terrorism concerns. Effective Oct. 2, the agency added a United Kingdom national, to the SDN list (here). OFAC also added three Russian citizens to the SDN list effective Oct. 5 (here).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added numerous individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Sept. 29 (here). OFAC also added the following entities to the SDN list:

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau announced it posted a new frequently asked questions section to its website on the fermented tea drink kombucha (here). According to the announcement (here), producers of kombucha containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume are subject to Internal Revenue Code provisions on alcohol and health warning statement requirements. Depending on how the kombucha is produced, provisions of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act may apply as well, said the TTB announcement.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau on Sept. 22 announced it will begin approving certificate of labeling approval (COLA) applications when there are minor discrepancies between the data collection portion of the COLA form and the label itself, as long as the label is compliant and the incorrect information is an allowable revision (here). The change will help products get to market faster, said TTB.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Sept. 17 (here):

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is amending its regulations to conform to a nearly two-decade old law that allows for refunds of excise tax when tax-paid imported wine is returned to bonded wine premises (here). The agency’s final rule also amends TTB regulations to allow refunds on tax-paid wine returned to bonding that is not unmerchantable. The new regulations take effect Oct. 15.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individual to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Sept. 9 (here):