U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Archives - Page 17 of 24

BIS Publishes First Military End User List

In a Final Rule, published on December 23, 2020, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) amended the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) by creating a “Military End User (MEU) List”. The list includes the first tranche of 103 entities consisting of 58 military end-users in China and 45 in Russia. BIS determined that these companies are ‘military end users’ for purposes of the ‘military end user’ control in the EAR that applies to specified items for exports, reexports, or transfers (in-country) to China, Russia, and Venezuela when such items are destined for a prohibited ‘military end user.’

Prior to this final rule, exporters, reexporters, or transferors were responsible for identifying these entities as ‘military end users’ themselves, assuming they were not otherwise individually informed. The MEU List (which is now searchable on the consolidated screening list) allows the public to be informed of BIS’s determination so all potential exporters are informed simultaneously.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T15:03:05-04:00January 28, 2021|Export, Import, ITAR, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|0 Comments

Trump Administration Designates Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism

Co-Authored by Sharath Patil

Cuba Designated a State Sponsor of Terror

The U.S. State Department designated Cuba a State Sponsor of Terrorism (“SST”) on January 11, 2021. Countries are designated on the SST list when they are determined by the U.S. Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

The four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation can include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions. Here, the January 11 re-designation of Cuba on the SST subjects Cuba to:

Sanctions that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with Cuba
Restricts U.S. foreign assistance to Cuba
Bans defense exports and sales to Cuba
Imposes certain controls on exports of dual use items.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T14:58:43-04:00January 12, 2021|Cuba, EAR, Export, Freight Forwarding, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|2 Comments

U.S.-Cuba Trade under Trump vs. Biden

Co-Authored by Sharath Patil

U.S.-Cuba Trade under Trump

Since the early 1960s, the U.S. maintained a policy of economic sanctions towards Cuba. The U.S. policy sought to isolate the Cuban government. In 2014, the Obama administration significantly changed U.S. trade and economic policies towards Cuba by restoring diplomatic relations, rescinding Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terror, and permitting increased trade between the two countries. This period was known as the Cuban Thaw.

However, under President Trump’s administration, the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize relations have been rolled back. In November 2017, the Trump administration restricted financial transactions with entities controlled by the Cuban government. Furthermore, many new entities have been added to the Cuba restricted list under the Trump administration. As of 2019, the Trump administration has more or less abandoned engagement with the Cuban government, and has opted instead to increase sanctions based on Cuba’s human rights violations and its support of the Venezuelan government under Nicolas Maduro.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T14:48:29-04:00December 21, 2020|Cuba, Customs Expert, Election 2020, Import, International Business, International Law, International Trade, U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|2 Comments

The Importance of Regular Export Compliance Training for your Business

What’s Export Compliance?

Boundless opportunities exist for U.S. businesses when they export their products and services to foreign markets. In fact, over 95% of the world’s consumers are located outside of the United States. However, the vast export opportunities must be tempered by your duty to diligently and effectively comply with U.S. export control laws under the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the U.S. State Department’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”).

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By Jennifer Diaz|2021-11-04T15:29:30-04:00November 20, 2020|Export, FCPA, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|17 Comments

UPDATE: Non-Commercial Airplanes and Cruise Ships on Temporary Sojourn are Now Prohibited To Travel To Cuba.

Following President Obama’s historical break in precedent, easing restrictions on Cuba in 2016, President Trump now seeks to deprive the Communist regime of revenue from American citizens.

President Trump, not wanting the US to be complicit in the oppression and subjugation of Cubans, has decided to roll back the newly established relationship and directed the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to draft a final rule limiting the types of aircraft that are authorized to fly to Cuba and the types of vessels that are authorized to sail to Cuba on temporary sojourn. This change is likely to be a result of the exponential growth of the island’s economy, coupled with the lack of improvement in overall quality of life for its citizens.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2021-11-09T09:32:53-05:00June 4, 2019|Cuba, Enforcement, Export, International Business, International Law, International Trade, International Travel, Pre-compliance, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|0 Comments

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