China has now acted to directly challenge Washington’s unilateral imposition of sanctions. On May 3, it’s Commerce Ministry invoked a “blocking statute” which, as a Fox News article explained, “prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate…. The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance, as Beijing signals it will not cooperate with U.S. efforts to cut off a key source of revenue for Iran…. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the United States of purchasing Iranian crude.”
Fox explained some immediate consequences: “Beijing’s decision to formally instruct companies not to comply with U.S. sanctions adds a new layer of risk for global firms. The blocking statute allows Chinese companies to seek damages in domestic courts from banks, insurers, or shipping companies that cut ties in order to comply with U.S. measures. Analysts say the move could force multinational firms into a difficult position, weighing access to the Chinese market against the risk of being cut off from the U.S. financial system.”
Apparently, this has little to do with getting more oil from Iran and a lot to do with confronting and braking Washington’s practice of ignoring international law with illegal, unilateral sanctions. Shipments have continued, regardless of the vaunted U.S. blockade. Maritime data from Windward, a maritime intelligence firm, show that the majority of ships in the Strait of Hormuz have turned off their tracking signals.
Despite mounting sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports, shipments have continued through increasingly opaque maritime networks. Data from Windward show a surge in vessels operating without tracking signals, with the majority of ships in the Strait of Hormuz recently going “dark.” Fox News says that Windward reported: “In one recent snapshot, 146 of 167 vessels in the area were not transmitting location data.”
