On December 28, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued five new frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) that clarify the scope of Executive Order (“E.O.”) 13959, the basis for OFAC’s...more
Over the past summer, prompted by a bipartisan Congressional letter identifying a two‑decade‑old statute as an unused tool in confronting China’s strategy of “Military-Civilian Fusion,” the U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”)...more
Parties to investment transactions involving U.S. businesses engaged in “critical technologies” activities will soon be subject to modified requirements for mandatory filings to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the...more
9/18/2020
/ CFIUS ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Final Rules ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Investment ,
ITAR ,
NAICS ,
National Security ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
On July 14, 2020, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Council published a long-awaited interim rule (the “Interim Rule”) implementing the second prong of Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act...more
7/15/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
China ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Interim Rule ,
NDAA ,
Offerors ,
Subcontractors ,
Surveillance ,
Telecommunications ,
Waivers
As widely reported, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (the “NPC”) completed its deliberation of and formally promulgated the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in...more
The United States has for decades utilized its economic clout to pursue sanctions against rogue governments and regimes, terrorists, narcotics traffickers, and human rights abusers. Now, with roughly half a year left in his...more
When the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) introduced the critical technologies “pilot program” in 2018, many foreign investors and U.S. companies gained an appreciation for the pivotal role U.S....more
On May 15, 2020, the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an interim rule (“Interim Rule”) significantly expanding its control of certain foreign-produced items when there is “knowledge” that...more
Earlier this month, the May 1, 2020 Executive Order (EO) on Securing the U.S. Bulk-Power System (BPS) was issued, and we wanted to pass along the following comments/insights about such EO. We find that it is helpful first to...more
Heightened U.S. national security concerns and trade tensions with China have resulted in new and expanded U.S. regulations that have created barriers for Chinese buyers seeking to acquire assets in the U.S. A number of years...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) announced that on Friday, May 1, 2020, the first-ever filing fees will become effective for joint voluntary notices submitted to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the...more
At a time of heightened concern about foreign ownership or control of U.S. telecommunication networks and supply chains, President Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”) on April 4, 2020 formalizing the interagency Team...more
It’s no secret that Iran has been one of the hardest hit countries by COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the “coronavirus”). As in other countries, this outbreak has strained Iran’s healthcare system and has instigated a surge...more
On March 4, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a proposed rule to establish–for the first time–filing fees for parties submitting jointly voluntary notices to the Committee on Foreign Investment in...more
On February 18, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) added Rosneft Trading S.A. (“Rosneft Trading”) and its president to the agency’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and...more
It seems there’s never a dull moment in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship. Public markets relaxed following easing tensions in the trade war with China with the announcement of the parties’ Phase I trade agreement, signed...more
Over the past few days, we here at MoFo’s National Security Practice Group have outlined the extraordinary pace of activity that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) maintained in 2019 as...more
As we mentioned in the first part of our U.S. Sanctions Year in Review series, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) had an extraordinarily busy year in 2019, and its enforcement activity...more
As we enter 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) may need time to catch its breath after an exceptionally busy year. 2019 showed us that the Trump Administration continues to rely on...more
Global M&A made another strong showing in 2019, as stock markets, while at times bumpy, rose to new highs, private equity firms raised record funds, and companies searched for growth and ways to address technological and...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has released final regulations to implement the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), expanding the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in...more
On January 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published an interim final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to place new restrictions on the export of...more
On December 13, 2019, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (“NSD”) announced a revised policy to encourage voluntary self-disclosures (“VSDs”) of criminal violations of export control and sanctions laws. The...more
As it nears the end of the calendar and legislative year, Congress is preparing to take long-awaited action to kill Russia’s Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream natural gas pipeline projects – months before Nord Stream 2’s...more
As another sign of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, in addition to the long-running trade war, China this week suspended visits to Hong Kong by the U.S. military and vowed to impose sanctions on a...more