Sponsor
W. Greg Steube
Representative · R-FL
Representative · R-FL
The bill aims to cut off Taliban-linked revenue from Afghanistan's rare-earth activities and protect U.S. supply chains, but does so by imposing new screening burdens and legal/immigration penalties that raise costs and risks for businesses and affected individuals.
Foreign persons who finance or facilitate Taliban-linked rare-earth activity will face U.S. asset-blocking and visa bans, reducing resources available to Taliban-linked actors.
Importers of physical goods are explicitly exempted from the measures, meaning U.S. supply chains and small businesses that import products face less immediate disruption.
U.S. persons and financial institutions will need to screen for covered Afghanistan rare-earth links, creating ongoing compliance costs and increasing transaction risk for businesses and banks.
Foreign entities and individuals operating in or near Afghanistan's mineral sector could face severe penalties, including criminal liability and a 10-year statute of limitations, increasing legal exposure for businesses engaged with the region.
Immigrants and other foreign nationals with direct or indirect ties to the covered sector may be denied visas or excluded, restricting travel and immigration even where connections are tenuous.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the President to sanction foreign persons who knowingly engage in significant transactions with Afghanistan’s rare earth mineral sector, imposing blocking measures and visa/exclusion, effective after 180 days.
Official title: To impose sanctions on persons engaging in transactions in Afghanistan rare earth minerals.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress February 4, 2025
Requires the President, starting 180 days after enactment, to impose targeted sanctions on any foreign person the President determines knowingly engages in a significant transaction with persons that are part of or operate for or on behalf of Afghanistan’s rare earth mineral sector. Sanctions include blocking (freezing) of property in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons and visa/exclusion actions against covered aliens; civil and criminal penalties and a 10-year statute of limitations under existing IEEPA enforcement provisions apply. Imports of goods (excluding technical data) are not covered by the sanctions.