US Regulation

Subscribe to US Regulation RSS Feed

US Actions on Russia and Russia-related Sanctions

The US has responded to the conflict in Ukraine with the following sanctions measures (listed by date, beginning with most recent). With relevant developments, we will update this post on a weekly basis. The latest developments occurred on April 1 and April 6. Additional jurisdictions we are tracking include: EU, Japan, Republic of Korea and … Continue Reading

US Commerce Department Adopts Controls on Cyber Intrusion Item; Opportunity for Industry Comment

On October 21, 2021, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register an Interim Final Rule with request for comments, that amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730- 774) regarding export controls on certain cyber intrusion items. Read the full client alert here.… Continue Reading

Biden New EO on Chinese Military Companies Creates New Substantive Test for Listing

On June 3, 2021, US President Joseph Biden issued Executive Order 14032, “Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments that Finance Certain Companies of the People’s Republic of China” (EO 14032), substantially amending the prohibitions originally contained in Executive Order 13959 (EO 13959), issued by President Trump on November 12, 2020 (amended January 13, 2021).… Continue Reading

BIS Implements Burmese Sanctions

On February 10, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14014, “Blocking Property With Respect to the Situation in Burma,” which authorized the imposition of sanctions.  In the EO, the President declared a national emergency to address the threat following a February 1, 2021 military coup in Burma, whereby the military overthrew the democratically-elected government and … Continue Reading

BIS Amends the EAR to Implement 2019 Wassenaar Plenary Agreements

On March 29, 2021, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to reflect the remaining approved 2019 changes to the dual-use controls adopted during the 2019 Wassenaar Arrangement Plenary Meetings. … Continue Reading

Department of Commerce Takes Action Against Avnet Asia for Involvement in Illegally Transshipping Sensitive U.S. Commodities to China and Iran

On January 29, 2021, Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced an Administrative Settlement of $3.2 million (partially suspended) with Singapore-based Avnet Asia Pte. Ltd. (Avnet Asia), a global distributor of electronic components and related software.… Continue Reading

Indonesian Company Admits To Deceiving U.S. Banks In Order To Trade With North Korea

PT Bukit Muria Jaya (“BMJ”), a global supplier of cigarettes, has agreed to pay a fine of more than $1.5 million and to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with the shipment of products to North Korean customers.… Continue Reading

President Trump Uses Executive Power to Target Reverse Discrimination in Federal Contracting

What are the implications? What practical steps should US government contractors take? Our multidisciplinary team provides an overview of President Trump’s Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, its labor law implications, potential for litigation, and practical guidance for federal contractors. Continue reading here.… Continue Reading

BIS Sunsets License Exception (CIV) for Civil End Uses in Countries in Group D:1

On April 28, 2020, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register a Final Rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR, subchapter C, parts 730-774) by removing License Exception Civil End Users (CIV) (§ 740.5), which authorized the unlicensed export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of … Continue Reading

BIS Expands Export, Reexport and Transfer (In-Country) Controls for Military End Use or Military End Users in China, Russia or Venezuela

On April 28, 2020, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register a Final Rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), 15 CFR parts 730-774. This new rule critically expands the licensing requirements for exports, reexports and transfers (in-country) of items subject to the EAR in three … Continue Reading

US Officials Finalize Passenger Travel Restrictions in Response to COVID-19

Effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 20, 2020 the United States limited non-essential travel across its northern and southern borders through April 20, 2020. The decision comes following negotiations with Canada and Mexico in response to the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  The restrictions target passengers, not cargo.  Administration officials continue … Continue Reading

US Department of State Imposes Visa Restrictions on Chinese Officials for Repression in Xinjiang

On October 8, 2019, the Secretary of State announced visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs or other members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, China. Family members of named persons may also be subject to these restrictions. The visa restrictions support the Department … Continue Reading

OFAC Enters Settlement With The General Electric Company for Violations of Cuba Sanctions

In early October, OFAC announced a US$2,718,581 settlement with The General Electric Company (GE) of Boston, Massachusetts. GE, on behalf of three GE subsidiaries, Getsco Technical Services Inc., Bentley Nevada and GE Betz (collectively, the “GE Companies”), agreed to settle its potential civil liability for 289 alleged violations of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR). Specifically, between December 2010 and February … Continue Reading

Trump Administration Authorizes Sanctions on Turkey

Responding to Turkey’s actions in Syria, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) blocking property and suspending entry of certain persons contributing to the situation in Syria. Pursuant to the EO, OFAC added three Turkish government officials and two Turkish government agencies, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) … Continue Reading

OFAC Implements Sanctions on Nicaragua

On September 4, 2019, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of  Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published in the Federal Register a new final rule on the Nicaragua Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 582 (Nicaragua Regulations), which implement Executive Order (EO) 13851 of November 27, 2018, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua”. The Nicaragua Regulations mirror the substance … Continue Reading

CFIUS Authority Expanded Via FIRRMA Implementing Regulations

UPDATE:  An annotated form of the full list of covered investment critical infrastructure and functions related to covered investment critical infrastructure as proposed by CFIUS that is referenced below is now available under the CFIUS Resources section of this blog. On September 17, 2019, the US Department of the Treasury issued proposed regulations to implement the … Continue Reading

US-Russia: Anticorruption, Sanctions, Counter-sanctions and Compliance for Companies Doing Business – Webinar Presentation Material – Russian Counter-sanction Legislation

Russian Counter-sanctions: Bill Introduced to Criminalize Dissemination of Information That May Result in Introduction or Expansion of Sanctions Against Russian Persons Following our recent webinar, our Moscow Team prepared an analysis of a draft Russian legislation that would prohibit media communications that reveal non-compliance with sanctions or facilitate imposition of sanctions and would also impose criminal … Continue Reading

US Commerce Department Offers Huawei and Affiliated Suppliers Interim Reprieve by Granting Temporary General License Until August 2019

On May 22, 2019, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is expected to publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule creating a 90-day Temporary General License (TGL) for Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) and the 68 affiliated Huawei entities (collectively, the “Huawei Listed Companies”) that were added to the … Continue Reading

Trump Secures US Telecom Supply Chain with Executive Order; Related Huawei Actions

On May 15, 2019, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain.” The long-awaited EO addresses the use in US communications networks of technologies from certain types of foreign companies.… Continue Reading
LexBlog