Biden Hardens Russia Sanctions Against Possible Trump Reversal

(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration took action Wednesday to make it harder for President-elect Donald Trump to lift some sanctions on Russia, seeking to box-in the new administration days before it takes over.

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The US Treasury Department announced it’s re-designating nearly 100 entities under an executive order that would require Trump to notify Congress if he attempts to lift the sanctions, which risks triggering a vote of disapproval in both chambers.

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The move is designed to clearly communicate the danger of doing business with these companies and to require consultation with Congress, a senior administration official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

In addition to the re-designations, the department also sanctioned a network of financial institutions and companies operating in both Russia and China that help the Kremlin evade sanctions. These co-called regional clearing platforms allow cross-border payments for sensitive goods, Treasury said in a statement.

The latest moves are part of a flurry of activity on the Russia and Ukraine portfolio that the outgoing administration has taken in recent weeks. On Friday, Biden officials sanctioned two major Russian oil companies.

The Russia-based sanctioned entities announced Wednesday include Herbarium Office Management LLC, Joint Stock Company Arctur and Paylink Limited. The China-based entities include Xinjiang Financial Import and Export Co Ltd, Hangzhou Xianghe Trading Co Ltd and Jilin Province Shunda Trading Company Ltd.

Andrei Valeryevich Prikhodko, a Russian national who is the general director of Herbarium, was also sanctioned.

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Kyrgyz Republic-based bank OJSC Keremet Bank was also sanctioned, accused of facilitating cross-border transactions for Russian state-controlled bank Promsvyazbank Public Joint Stock Company, which Treasury said aids the country’s military-industrial base.

(Updates with additional details on the sanctions from fourth paragraph.)

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