Wine labeling changes to accommodate a new requirement in Argentina will not need a new certificate of label approval (COLA), said the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on May 16. The Argentine government recently required that labels on wine in Argentina, including exported wine, bear either (1) the phrase “Vino Argentino Bebida Nacional”; (2) a logo with the phrase “Vino Argentino Bebida Nacional”; or a two-dimensional barcode like a Quick Response (QR) code that provides access to a company website with the logo. TTB considers the information to be additional or optional label information, so the label still has to be truthful, but the agency isn’t requiring a new COLA.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list on May 14:

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list on May 7:

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published new Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations in the Federal Register on May 8 to implement three relevant executive orders issued in March. OFAC intends to supplement this final rule with additional guidance on licensing policy.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list on May 7:

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added two South Sudanese individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals List on May 6 for fueling internecine conflict in the country that has continued unabated in recent months. The two individuals are as follows:

The Treasury Department’s Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) posted to its website a new FAQ on optional alcohol facts statements. TTB rules allow for alcohol facts labels that are similar to serving facts labels but instead show the number of servings per container, and the percentage of alcohol by volume together with a numerical statement of the number of fluid ounces of pure ethyl alcohol per serving. Any nutrient statements still have to be made on a serving facts label, but both may be placed on the same container, said TTB.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list on April 30:

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is amending the Syrian Sanctions Regulations to implement a series of applicable executive orders issued from 2006 to 2012. OFAC is also updating certain provisions of the regulations, making other technical changes and reissuing the regulations in their entirety.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced on April 29 the creation of a new form to streamline requests from firearm manufacturers and importers for marking variances. Generally, firearms must be marked with specific identifying information, but ATF can allow a “marking variance” if the manufacturer or importer shows that the alternative form of identification “is reasonable and will not hinder the effective administration of the law,” says ATF. According to the agency, new ATF Form 3311.4 simplifies the process for asking for a marking variance by specifically requesting information required to process a request, “thus eliminating delays caused when a request omits needed information.”