On January 11, 2021, the US State Department published a press release announcing Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (“SST”) for allegedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists. Cuba was originally designated as an SST in 1982 but was delisted in 2015 by…

On December 22, 2020, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published a final rule (“Final Rule”) in the Federal Register adding 77 entities and individuals to the Entity List, including several prominent Chinese multinationals (together, the “Designees”). The Final Rule took effect on December 18, 2020. On the same day,…

On November 17, 2020, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a final rule (“Final Rule”) amending and clarifying certain provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to make them consistent with the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (“ECRA”). The Final Rule also amends…

Welcome to our first Virtual Year-End Review of Import/Export Developments Conference, a virtual offering for all our clients and friends worldwide. Baker McKenzie’s international trade compliance lawyers from around the world discussed the major global legislative, judicial and administrative activities and trends in export controls, trade sanctions, customs compliance, and…

On October 16, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced that exporters can request six-month extensions of export licenses that are set to expire on or before December 31, 2020.  According to BIS, this is being done to “cut[] red tape and mak[e] it easier for…

On September 24, 2020, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register that amended the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (“CACR”) to further implement the President’s foreign policy to deny the Cuban regime sources of revenue. Major elements of the changes include: Professional (Including Business)…

On August 13, 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement requesting that the US Department of Transportation (“DOT”) suspend private charter flights to all Cuban airports.  This action will suspend all charter flights between the United States and Cuba over which the DOT exercises jurisdiction, except for authorized…

On August 27, 2020, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a final rule (“Final Rule”) adding 24 Chinese state-owned entities to the Entity List (the “SCS Designees”), including several subsidiaries of China Communications Construction Company (“CCCC”), due to their ties to land reclamation efforts involving…

On July 24, 2020, the Trump Administration announced a new policy (the “Updated UAS Policy”) on exports of US-origin unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”), also known as “drones.”  The Updated UAS Policy follows the Trump Administration’s UAS policy reforms announced in April 2018 (“April 2018 UAS Export Policy”), which allowed exports…

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) within the US State Department recently issued a number of announcements regarding submissions related to Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures (“MAD”) of US businesses regulated under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”).  These changes by DDTC were prompted by the COVID-19 crisis and…