On January 16, 2025, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued an interim final rule (“IFR”) related to advanced computing integrated circuits (“ICs”) designed to protect US national security and assist foundries and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (“OSAT”) companies in complying with provisions of the US Export Administrations Regulations (“EAR”). The IFR builds on previous waves of semiconductor export controls published in October 2022, October 2023, April 2024, and December…
On January 16, 2025, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published an interim final rule (the “IFR”) revising the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to impose new controls on certain biotechnology equipment and related technology. As stated in the IFR, the new controls are necessary to protect against US national security and foreign policy interests “given the dual-use nature and relevance of specific biotechnology equipment to contribute to the research and development…
Shortly after taking the oath of office today, newly inaugurated President Trump signed a flurry of Executive Orders (“EOs”) and other executive actions. This include several actions related to US sanctions and export controls. Authority to Designate Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or Specially Designated Global Terrorists Trump signed an EO Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. This EO creates a legal authority to designate certain international…
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the US Department of State (“State”), the US Department of Commerce (“Commerce”), and the US Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued rules adjusting maximum civil monetary penalties (“CMPs”) under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, as outlined below. (For additional years of CMPs, see our previous blog post available here.) OFAC CMP Adjustments Under OFAC’s final rule issued on January 15, 2025,…