As the businesses are occupied with media coverage and contingency plans concerning coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak (which China will take it under control with better-than-SARS outcome as a matter of time), international businesses must dedicate sufficient resources to strengthen their international trade compliance in light of the latest sanction developments that target more precisely egregious “bad actors.” The sanctioning body makes it clear that foreign financial institutions “knowingly facilitate” such characters “risk exposure to sanctions.”

On January 23, 2020, the US Treasury Department (US Treasury). sanctioned Chinese (HK or mainland-incorporated) trading companies, because of their facilitating payments in “purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of” petrochemicals and petroleum commodities from Iran (shipped to “UAE” and “China”) on or after November 5, 2018).

Similarly, on January 10, 2020, certain Chinese trading companies as well as a vessel owner received sanctions because of their material supports or facilitation to Iranian end-users and/ or suppliers of Iranian metal / construction / mineral companies such as steel slabs, carbon blocks and cathode blocks, graphite electrodes, aluminum, iron and copper.

OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) under US Treasury, the primary regulatory body of these economic sanctions and export control regimes, has also warned foreign financial institutions who“knowingly facilitate” such characters “risk exposure to sanctions.” (Please find detailed names of these sanctioned companies in the official links here and here.)

Please do not conceal or obfuscate Iranian origin in your transactions or face severe business interruption consequence.

Please do not provide facilitation or assistance in transactions to evade or avoid Iran-related US sanctions, risking exposures to both sanctions risks and negative business outcomes.

Petrochemical companies as well as trade finance communities in the value chain should take unambiguous action and present right message from the top to stop dealing with or financing PETROLEUM, CHEMICAL, METAL, AUTOMOBILE & CONSTRUCTION sectors with potential Iranian origin (in addition to SDN and sanctioned entities) to your best knowledge. Please consult your counsel for informed decision-making before doing businesses with sanction exposures.

附贸易合规风险提示中文概要如下：

请务必避免大宗产品交易中隐瞒或混淆伊朗原产地，任何协助该等隐瞒伊朗原产地，或者明知存在该等可能性而协助隐瞒或规避针对伊朗制裁的敏感交易，否则将面临严重的商业中断后果。

2020 年 1 月 23 日，若干中国（香港或内地注册）贸易公司由于在 2018 年 11 月 5 日之后仍然在如下交易中提供贸易金融和进出口代理而遭受制裁，即卷入从伊朗（运往“阿联酋”和“中国”）的石化和石油商品的“购买、收购、销售、运输或销售”。 最新的一系列制裁已明确进一步从石化大宗产品延申至与伊朗有关的金属和建筑行业的上下游：2020 年 1 月 10 日，若干中国贸易公司以及船东由于向伊朗最终用户和/或伊朗金属/建筑/矿业公司供应商（如钢板、碳块和阴极块、石墨电极、铝、铁和铜）提供实质支持或便利而受到美国财政部的经济制裁处罚。

美国财政部外国资产管制办公室（OFAC）系前述全球经济制裁和出口管制制度的主要监管机构，已在最新的制裁中警告“外国金融机构”——“[如果]明知故犯地为“此类违规行为提供便利”将“面临制裁的风险”。

处于价值链中的石化上下游企业以及贸易融资界应采取明确行动，自上而下传递传达正确与合规的方向，停止潜在与伊朗有关的石油、化学、金属、汽车、建筑等行业大宗产品贸易及其贸易融资（除了遵循既有的针对被制裁名单的受制裁的实体）国际商业和贸易金融专业人士应在进出口、运输或仓储或提供贸易金融于与伊朗有关的石油、化学、金属和建设行业的交易前，应寻求法律顾问的专业意见审慎决策。