On March 14, 2024, the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced more restrictive export controls on Nicaragua stated to be in response to the Nicaraguan Government’s human rights abuses, attacks on civil society, and increased cooperation with Russia. The DDTC and BIS press releases are available here and here. DDTC: New ITAR Export Controls The State Department announced…
On March 21, 2024, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published a final rule (“Final Rule”) revising and expanding the end-user controls under Part 744 of the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). Specifically, the Final Rule expanded end-user controls applicable to certain persons identified on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (“SDN List”) maintained by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) under various sanctions…
On March 6, 2024, the US Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”), and Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) jointly issued a compliance note titled “Tri-Seal Compliance Note: Obligations of foreign-based persons to comply with US sanctions and export control laws” (“Tri-Seal Compliance Note”). This note highlights longstanding US sanctions and export controls that apply to non-US companies and individuals as well as the…
On March 7, 2024, the US Department of Justice (“DOJ”) National Security Division (“NSD”) published a revised Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations (“Enforcement Policy”). The Enforcement Policy was first issued by the NSD on December 13, 2019 and subsequently updated March 1, 2023. Our blog post discussing the original policy is here. In these latest updates NSD has not altered the core components of the Enforcement Policy, which provides that when a company (1) voluntary…