The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the US Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”), and the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) have announced increases in the maximum civil monetary penalties (“CMPs”) that may be imposed for violations of OFAC sanctions programs, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), respectively. The new maximum penalty amounts come into effect on August 1, 2016.

On 3 June 2016, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published a Final Rule (the “BIS Final Rule”) revising a number of definitions in the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). BIS also posted new Frequently Asked Questions related to this rule. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of State published an Interim Final Rule (the “State Interim Rule” and, collectively with the BIS Final Rule, the “June 2016 Rules”) revising several definitions in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). The June 2016 Rules will go into effect on 1 September 2016. The State Department will accept comments on the State Interim Rule until 5 July 2016.