Effective January 25, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) again expanded export controls and sanctions against Russia for its continuing aggression against Ukraine and Belarus for its complicity in such activities. In a Final Rule, BIS is expanding the scope of the Export Administration Regulations’ (EAR) Russian and Belarusian
Iran
BIS Adds 37 Entities to Entity List for National Security Risk Activities Involving Burma, China, Iran and Russia
On March 2, 2023, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Final Rule adding 37 entities to the Entity List for contributing to Russia’s military/defense industrial base, supporting China’s military modernization, and facilitating or engaging in human rights abuses in Burma and China, including the following:
- Three entities in Russia,
New Export Control Measures on Iran Address Iranian UAVs and Their Use by Russia in War with Ukraine
On February 24, 2023, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Final Rule amending the Export Administrations Regulations (EAR) to impose new export control measures on Iran. These measures address the use of Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) (aka, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), aka drones) by Russia in its ongoing…
OFAC Sanctions Facilitators of Iranian Oil Sales
On September 29, 2022, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network of international companies for facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to South and East Asia. OFAC targeted the network, which includes a myriad of front companies in…
OFAC Issues Updated Iran General License Covering Certain Services, Software and Hardware for Communications
On September 23, 2022, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a revised Iran General License (GL) D-2 which authorizes the export, reexport by U.S. persons to Iran of certain services, software and hardware incident to communication. The purpose of the revised GL is to bring this OFAC guidance on…
OFAC Authorizes Certain Activities in Iran, Syria and Venezuela to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
On June 17, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued three general licenses related to the sanctions programs of Iran (General License N), Syria (General License 21) and Venezuela (General License 39), “Authorizing Certain Activities to Respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)…
U.S.-EU Summit Statement Addresses Trade, Investment and Technological Cooperation
On June 15, 2021, the United States and European Union (EU) issued a joint Summit Statement trumpeting a “renewed transatlantic partnership” at the conclusion of President Joseph Biden’s first trip abroad as president. The statement establishes a Joint Transatlantic Agenda “for the post-pandemic era, and … regular dialogue to take stock of progress.” The leaders…
BIS Issues Interim Final Rule Expanding Certain Controls on Activities of U.S. Persons
On January 15, 2021, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an interim final rule implementing further provisions of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 by: (i) imposing additional export license requirements under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) in connection with certain military-intelligence end uses and end users; (ii) clarifying…
OFAC and State Department Sanction Entities Operating in Iran’s Steel Sector
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State have announced further sanctions toward Iran by designating and placing on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List a China-based supplier of graphite electrodes, 12 Iranian producers of steel and other metals products, three foreign-based sales agents of a major…
OFAC Updates FAQs to Clarify Scope of Sanctions Targeting Iran’s Construction, Mining, Manufacturing and Textile Sectors
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has revised Iran-related frequently asked questions (FAQs) to clarify that the sanctions authorized against the Iranian construction, mining, manufacturing and textiles sectors, among others, will not target Iranian manufacturers of medicines, medical devices, or products used for sanitation or hygiene or as personal protective equipment, solely for use…