On November 26, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (“OFAC”) issued General License 41 (“GL 41“) authorizing Chevron Corporation (“Chevron”) to resume limited oil extraction operations in Venezuela and accompanying FAQs. According to the accompanying press release, OFAC issued GL 41 after Unitary Platform and President Maduro’s regime announced the resumption of negotiations; a humanitarian agreement focused on education, health, food security, flood response, and electricity programs that will…
On September 23, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (“OFAC”) issued Iran General License D-2 (“GL D-2”), which amends and replaces the former Iran General License D-1 (“GL D-1”), and published three related Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”). GL D-2 authorizes a more expansive set of internet communication-related activities, including cloud-based software and services, that are otherwise prohibited under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (“ITSR”). According to the accompanying…
On June 30, 2022, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced four key policy changes to strengthen the administrative enforcement program and tackle external threats. These policy changes prioritize the “most serious violations” and cases that pose the greatest danger to US security. The four policy changes made to the BIS’s Administrative Enforcement Program include: Imposition of Significantly Higher Penalties The most serious administrative violations will trigger more stringent penalties…
On May 20, 2022, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced the issuance of a temporary denial order denying the export privileges of the airline Rossiya to participate in transactions subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), including exports and reexports from the United States. BIS previously issued similar orders covering Aeroflot, Azur Air, UTair, and Aviastar-TU. Aeroflot is a majority shareholder of Rossiya, and both airlines own and operate a number of US-origin aircraft, many requiring US-origin…