#Export control & International sanctions:
Tariffs: Trump administration’s contradictions before the Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court has been seized of an appeal filed by several small businesses challenging the legality of customs duties imposed by the Trump administration. The plaintiffs argue that reliance on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) exceeds presidential authority, as this legislation was not intended to govern trade policy. By invoking a “national emergency,” Donald Trump allegedly altered tariff rates without congressional authorization, in disregard of the constitutional separation of powers regarding taxation. After two rulings in lower courts, the Supreme Court must now determine whether such duties fall within the exclusive power of the legislature. > Read article
#White collar crime:
Patrick Balkany remains ineligible and will not be able to run in the 2026 municipal elections, rules the Paris Court of Appeal
The Paris Court of Appeal has confirmed that Patrick Balkany, former mayor of Levallois-Perret, remains ineligible and will not be able to run in the 2026 municipal elections. Patrick Balkany and his wife Isabelle were definitively convicted in 2020 and 2021 for tax fraud and aggravated money laundering, having hidden around €13 million in assets between 2007 and 2014, including luxury villas in the Caribbean and Morocco. After various legal proceedings, Patrick Balkany was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, a €100,000 fine, and ten years of ineligibility, a sentence immediately enforceable, preventing any return to the mayor’s office. > Read article
#Anti-money laundering and fight against financing of terrorism:
Didier Reynders, former Belgian minister and former European Commissioner, indicted for money laundering
On 4 November, several Belgian media outlets revealed that Didier Reynders, former European Commissioner and former Belgian minister, had been indicted on 16 October by an investigating magistrate. He is suspected of laundering money in two ways: through regular transfers to his account at ING Bank, mounting to an estimated total of between €700,000 and €800,000, and through the purchase of games of chance worth around €200,000. A parallel investigation also targets ING Bank, suspected of having been slow to report these transactions despite the enhanced due diligence obligations imposed on “politically exposed persons” to corruption. > Read article
Lafarge terrorism financing trial postponed to November 18 due to procedural error
The trial of the Lafarge group, accused of financing terrorism in Syria, has been postponed to 18 November following a procedural error. The Paris Criminal Court identified an irregularity in the order of referral to criminal court of Bruno Pescheux, former head of the company’s Syrian subsidiary, whose period of activity had been improperly extended. This setback highlights the legal complexity of a high-profile case intertwining economic interests and conflict zones. Lafarge is suspected of having paid several million euros to jihadist groups between 2013 and 2014 to maintain operations at its Syrian cement plant. The much-anticipated trial is set to resume on 18 November and conclude on 19 December. > Read article
