• A new Executive Order signed October 14, 2019, authorizes U.S. sanctions related to the military conflict between Turkey and Syria, providing broad authority to impose sanctions against Turkish government agencies,...more
• The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added 46 additional Huawei affiliates to the Entity List. The export, reexport, and transfer to these entities of commodities, software, and technology...more
8/21/2019
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Policy ,
General Licenses ,
Huawei ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Software ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
U.S. Commerce Department
• On June 21, 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued and put into effect an Interim Final Rule (Interim Rule) that requires all U.S. persons and persons subject to U.S....more
• President Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) on May 8, 2019—exactly one year after the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal—that widened the scope of existing sanctions targeting the Iranian...more
6/4/2019
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Blocked Person ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Secondary Sanctions ,
Steel Industry ,
Trump Administration
• The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) recently published guidance that describes the framework for an effective Sanctions Compliance Program (SCP). In its guidance, OFAC makes clear...more
5/30/2019
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Internal Controls ,
New Guidance ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sanctions ,
Senior Managers ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Voluntary Disclosure
• On May 20, 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce published a 90-day Temporary General License (TGL) authorizing limited categories of exports, reexports, or transfers that are otherwise prohibited pursuant to the addition...more
5/22/2019
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Policy ,
General Licenses ,
Huawei ,
Manufacturers ,
National Security ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
U.S. Commerce Department
• On May 16, 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce published a final rule adding Huawei and 68 other companies, mostly its non-U.S. affiliates worldwide, to the Entity List... The rule will be officially published in the...more
5/20/2019
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Policy ,
General Licenses ,
Huawei ,
National Security ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. Commerce Department
• On May 15, 2019, President Trump issued a long-awaited E.O. designed to curtail the use of telecommunications items and services from certain countries and persons in U.S. networks. The E.O. does not impose immediate...more
5/16/2019
/ CFIUS ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Policy ,
Infrastructure ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Jurisdiction ,
National Security ,
New Regulations ,
Telecommunications ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration
• On April 8, 2019, the U.S. government announced its intention to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective April 15, 2019. This unprecedented action will result...more
4/15/2019
/ Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) ,
CAATSA ,
Foreign Policy ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
• On January 28, 2019, OFAC added the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company PdVSA to its SDN List.
• As a result, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with PdVSA and entities that...more
2/6/2019
/ Blocked Person ,
Bonds ,
Capital Markets ,
Debt-Equity ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
SDN List ,
Securities Transactions ,
State-Owned Enterprises ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela
• As of November 5, 2018, the United States concluded the second of two wind-down periods for re-imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran following the May 8, 2018, announcement that the United States would cease participation in...more
11/27/2018
/ Aircraft ,
Blocking Statutes ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Goods or Services ,
Humanitarian Assistance ,
Imports ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
SDN List ,
Special Purpose Vehicles ,
SWIFT ,
Trade Policy ,
Trump Administration ,
Vessels
In this podcast, Akin Gump’s international trade partners Mahmoud Baki “Mac” Fadlallah (Dubai), Jasper Helder (London) and Wynn Segall (Washington, D.C.) discuss three pivotal regions related to U.S. sanctions under the...more
• On August 6, 2018, following President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the JCPOA, the U.S. government announced the reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s automotive sector, its trade in gold and precious...more
8/17/2018
/ Blocking Statutes ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Executive Orders ,
International Relations ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Secondary Sanctions ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
Winding Down ,
Withdrawal
• On May 22, 2018, OFAC issued General License 15, authorizing U.S. persons to engage in specified transactions related to maintenance or wind-down of operations, contracts or other agreements involving GAZ Group or any...more
• On May 21, 2018, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on the Government of Venezuela in response to the reelection of President Maduro and the “deepening humanitarian and public health crisis” fueled by the Maduro...more
• The U.S. government has withdrawn from the Iran Nuclear Deal and reverted sanctions to the status quo ante by re-imposing secondary sanctions that restrict non-U.S. persons from engaging in a broad range of business in...more
5/10/2018
/ Controlled Foreign Corporations ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Trade Policy ,
Trump Administration
• On May 1, 2018, OFAC issued General License 13A authorizing the divestment or transfer of certain debt, equity or other holdings issued by EN+ Group, GAZ Group or United Company RUSAL PLC, as well as entities in which such...more
Today, OFAC issued General License 14, authorizing U.S. persons to engage in specified transactions related to maintenance or wind down of operations, contracts or other agreements involving RUSAL until October 23, 2018,...more
• On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed seven prominent Russian businessmen, 12 companies, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian...more
4/9/2018
/ Banking Sector ,
Blocked Person ,
CAATSA ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Institutions ,
General Licenses ,
Government Officials ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
SDN List ,
State-Owned Enterprises ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
On January 12, 2018, the U.S. administration took three actions relating to Iran -
• First, President Trump waived again the application of certain nuclear sanctions while making clear that the United States will refuse to...more
• Effective October 13, 2017, President Trump declined to provide certification that the JCPOA is in the United States’ national interest. Following this “decertification,” the U.S. Congress has 60 days in which to introduce...more
11/2/2017
/ Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Decertify ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Iran ,
Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA) ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Legislative Amendments ,
Members of Congress ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SDN List ,
Sunset Provisions ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
Based on certain State Department findings, effective October 12, 2017, long-standing U.S. sanctions on the Republic of Sudan administered by OFAC under the Sudan Sanctions Regulations will be terminated, and U.S. persons...more
10/13/2017
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Commerce Control List ,
Commodities ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Exports ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Secretary of State ,
Sudan ,
Trade Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
TSRA
On September 21, 2017, the White House announced additional sanctions against North Korea, following a new round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations on September 11 and an escalation of U.S. sanctions previously...more
9/26/2017
/ Aircraft ,
Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Relations ,
Fund Transfers ,
North Korea ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Secretary of State ,
Secretary of the Treasury ,
Trade Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
Vessels
• This enforcement action highlights the heightened sanctions compliance and enforcement risk that companies face when engaging third-party consultants to perform due diligence on counterparties. U.S. persons must make clear...more
8/28/2017
/ Due Diligence ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
General Licenses ,
Imports ,
IPSA ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Sanction Violations ,
Settlement
On July 27, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the civil settlement with CSE TransTel Pte. Ltd. (“TransTel”) and CSE Global Limited (“CSE Global”) in the amount of...more
8/12/2017
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Transactions ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Jurisdiction ,
Non-US Entities ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Penalties ,
Sanction Violations ,
SDN List ,
Section 203 ,
Settlement