Taliban Rare Earth Minerals Sanctions Act
Taliban Rare Earth Minerals Sanctions Act is a proposed U.S. bill that would impose targeted sanctions on foreign individuals or entities that knowingly engage in significant transactions with Afghanistan’s rare earth minerals sector, which is associated with the Taliban regime. The sanctions would take effect 180 days after enactment and would include asset blocking and visa/entry prohibitions for aliens involved in such transactions, enforced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Importantly, the bill clarifies that these sanctions do not authority to restrict the importation of goods themselves; the “goods” definition is broad (excluding only technical data) but the sanctions focus on transactions with the Afghan rare earth minerals sector rather than general imports. The aim appears to be to deter international business dealings with Afghanistan’s rare earth minerals by exerting financial and travel-related penalties on offending parties, while preserving existing import pathways for goods not tied to those transactions. Penalties align with existing IEEPA provisions, applying similar consequences as other unlawful acts under that law.
Key Points
- 1Targeted sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly engage in significant transactions with Afghanistan’s rare earth minerals sector (as controlled by or on behalf of the Taliban).
- 2Effective date set at 180 days after enactment; sanctions apply to qualifying transactions occurring on or after that date.
- 3Importation of goods is expressly not subject to these sanctions, per the act’s exception.
- 4Broad definition of “goods” for purposes of the exception, including most articles, substances, materials, or manufactured products, but excluding technical data.
- 5Penalties and enforcement to follow IEEPA provisions (including blocking of property and related penalties), with additional visa denial and exclusion measures for aliens involved.