The Office of Foreign Assets Control has updated the entry on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under counterterrorism designations, OFAC said.

Russian sanctions enacted through legislation signed into law Aug. 2 will take effect starting Jan. 29, said the Office of Foreign Assets Control in guidance released Oct. 31. According to the guidance, the U.S. government will ban the export or re-export of goods or technology in support of exploration or production for deep-water, Arctic offshore or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil in any location, and in which any Russian subject to Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014, has either a 33 percent or greater ownership interest or ownership of a majority of the voting interests. Prohibitions that remain imposed include those implemented Sept. 12, 2014, on the export and re-export of goods or technology in support of exploration or production for deep-water, Arctic offshore or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil in Russia, or in Russia-claimed maritime area and extending from its territory, and that involve any Russian person subject to any associated directive, or their property or property interests, the guidance says.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added seven individuals and three entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under North Korea designations, and also made 53 deletions, under transnational criminal organization designations, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has removed 157 entities from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under Sudan designations, OFAC said. In a separate action, OFAC added eight individuals and one entity to the SDN list under counterterrorism designations, the agency said.

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 procedures outlined by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA), according to a Treasury report to Congress on the foreign exchange policies of major U.S. trading partners, released Oct. 17. However, Treasury has continued naming China, Japan, Korea, Germany and Switzerland on the "monitoring list." Treasury removed Taiwan from the monitoring list after the nation met only one out of three criteria -- a material account surplus -- for two consecutive reports. Countries meeting two out of all three criteria necessary to warrant classification as a currency manipulator are placed on the monitoring list.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added four entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under nonproliferation and Iran designations, and updated the SDN entry for one entity, OFAC said. OFAC also published three frequently asked questions related to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 and the SDN list update.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed two individuals from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under transnational criminal organization designations, OFAC said (here and here).

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is reopening the period for comments on its proposal to amend its labeling and record-keeping regulations to tighten requirements for certain grape wines exempt from labeling approval, it said in a notice. Under the agency’s June 22 proposed rule (see 1606220010), grape wines with an alcohol content higher than 7 percent but exempt from labeling approval would still have to comply with TTB standards for labeling of varietal (grape type) designations, type designations of varietal significance, vintage dates and appellations of origin. The agency already reopened the comment period once before (see 1609070025). Comments are now due Jan. 9, 2018.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau will allow for comments until Jan. 9, 2018, on its proposal to amend its regulations on the production of wine, it said in a notice. The proposed changes affect the permissible treatments that may be applied to wine and to juice from which wine is made (see 1611220028).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added 26 individuals and 10 entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under North Korea designations, OFAC said.