China has recently taken several actions showing its commitment to counter trade restrictions imposed by other countries. In March 2025, it released regulations implementing the 2021 Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. In tandem with...more
4/14/2025
/ China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exports ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
International Trade ,
Multinationals ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trade Relations
The Situation: After President Trump issued an Executive Order ("EO") that creates a process to designate international cartels and other organizations as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" ("FTOs") or "Specially Designated...more
3/3/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Cartels ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Terrorist Organizations ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
On January 15, 2025, the European Commission ("EC") published a Recommendation ("EU Recommendation") urging European Union Member States to start reviewing outbound investments outside of the EU in three strategic sectors:...more
The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS") issued a rule establishing a framework to prevent U.S. adversaries from accessing the most advanced artificial intelligence ("AI") systems while...more
2/6/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Export Controls ,
Innovative Technology ,
Licensing Rules ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Semiconductors ,
U.S. Commerce Department
The final rule establishes prohibitions and restrictions on the transfer of certain data due to national security risks from specified countries of concern....more
1/16/2025
/ Data Brokers ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Transfers ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Export Controls ,
Final Rules ,
International Data Transfers ,
National Security ,
Personal Data ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
While the total number of filings declined in comparison to recent years, CFIUS's latest Annual Report to Congress highlights an uptick in penalties and an increased use of enforcement tools relating to national...more
On July 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") issued a proposed rule to expand the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' ("CFIUS") jurisdiction over certain categories of foreign investment...more
In recent years, the world has witnessed heightened sensitivity surrounding foreign investments, leading to increased regulatory scrutiny of foreign direct investments ("FDI") on the basis of national security concerns. The...more
In a coordinated announcement, federal agencies stress the benefits of voluntarily disclosing potential trade violations while emphasizing increased enforcement....more
8/22/2023
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
CFIUS ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
FinCEN ,
Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ,
National Security ,
Non-Prosecution Agreements ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Voluntary Disclosure ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
The Biden administration has issued a long-anticipated executive order targeting U.S. outbound investment in certain Chinese industries; however, significant steps remain before these measures are fully implemented....more
8/22/2023
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Biden Administration ,
China ,
Comment Period ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Investment ,
National Security ,
Outbound Transactions ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury
On June 16, the U.S. Department of Commerce published a final rule, effective July 17, 2023, on Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services ("ICTS") Supply Chain, signaling potential new actions on...more
In Short -
The Situation: The U.S. Department of Commerce ("Commerce") recently published a proposed rule to implement the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors ("CHIPS") Act, a domestic manufacturing...more
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS") has released its first-ever enforcement and penalty guidelines—putting industry on notice and inviting self-disclosures....more
On September 15, 2022, President Biden issued an EO "elaborating and expanding" upon the factors CFIUS must consider as part of its national security review process. Although the EO does not change the formal CFIUS process or...more
In Short -
The Situation: In early August 2022, the Department of the Treasury's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS" or "the Committee") released its new annual report. ...more
The Situation: As part of a series of recent executive actions regarding the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), President Biden issued a new executive order on June 3, 2021—Executive Order 14032—that refines novel sanctions...more
6/30/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Defense Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Investment ,
National Security ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Securities Transactions ,
Supply Chain
President Biden's Executive Orders on China underscore the need for experienced counsel in U.S.-China transactions as the two countries' relations continue to impact the regulatory landscape. On June 9, 2021, President Biden...more
6/30/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Blocking Statutes ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
Software ,
Supply Chain ,
TikTok ,
Trade Retaliation ,
US Trade Policies
President Biden's Executive Order calls for an extensive reassessment and revamping of the federal government's cybersecurity defenses and incident response capabilities, establishing benchmarks that may inform standards...more
The Situation: Later this month, transactions in the information and communication technology and services ("ICTS") sector that involve designated "foreign adversaries" will be subject to review by the U.S. Department of...more
The Development: China's Ministry of Commerce ("MOFCOM") released Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-Territorial Application of Foreign Laws and Other Measures ("Rules") on January 9, 2021. Effective immediately, the...more
On November 12, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled "Addressing the Threat from Securities Investments that Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies," which will prohibit U.S. persons from participating...more
The Situation: In an October 1, 2020, Advisory, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") warned that companies that make or facilitate ransomware payments to threat actors who are...more
The Situation: The U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury Department") recently issued proposed regulations that will alter and in some cases expand the scope of critical technology foreign investments subject to...more
6/23/2020
/ CFIUS ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Investment ,
ITAR ,
National Security ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Regulation ,
U.S. Treasury
The Situation: The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS," or the "Committee") recently published draft regulations implementing the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act ("FIRRMA"), which...more
10/31/2019
/ Biotechnology ,
CFIUS ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Data Collection ,
Draft Guidance ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Investment ,
ITAR ,
Life Sciences ,
National Security ,
Personal Data ,
Real Estate Transactions
The Situation: The U.S. government imposed initial sanctions on Russia under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991. The sanctions relate to the March 2018 attempted assassination of...more