The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) is extending the comment period for future extensions of the temporary general license (“TGL”) authorizing certain transactions involving the export, reexport, and transfer of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to Chinese-headquartered Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its non-US affiliates designated on the BIS Entity List. Parties now have until April 22, 2020 (extended from March 25, 2020) to submit comments. BIS is…
Effective March 10, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a final rule extending through May 15, 2020 the validity of the Temporary General License (“TGL”) authorizing certain transactions involving the export, reexport, and transfer of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to Chinese-headquartered Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (“Huawei”) and 114 of its non-US affiliates designated on the BIS Entity List. The TGL had been set to expire on…
On February 24, 2020, in a final rule (the “Rule”) that took immediate effect, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) revised the country group designations for Russia and Yemen under the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), increasing license restrictions for both countries. The Rule is part of a larger effort within BIS that involves a “comprehensive review” of all country groups to ensure they appropriately reflect current US national security and foreign policy.…
On October 21, 2019, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) amended the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to further restrict exports and reexports of items to Cuba (“the Amendment“). According to BIS, the Amendment was made to further restrict the Cuban government’s access to items subject to the EAR, thereby supporting the US government’s national security and foreign policy decision to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its repression of the Cuban people and its continuing support for the Maduro regime in Venezuela. The Amendment further implements President Trump’s June 2017 National Security Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba. BIS also updated Frequently Asked Questions regarding Cuba, and the US Commerce Department issued a related press release here.
The same week, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo wrote to the Secretary of Transportation noting the Administration’s policy and requested that the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) suspend all scheduled US carrier flights between the United States and all airports in Cuba, except José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana. DOT issued an order suspending service on October 25, 2019. US air carriers have 45 days to discontinue all scheduled air service between the United States and all airports in Cuba, except José Martí International Airport. Please see here for the State Department’s press release.
A summary of specific changes/clarifications made by the Amendment are described below: