On 2 March 2021, the United States and European Union ("EU") imposed coordinated sanctions in response to the poisoning and imprisonment of Russian opposition politician Aleksey Navalny (and the related US determination that...more
On December 23, 2020, the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS") issued a final rule creating a "Military End User List" ("MEU List") under the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). The final...more
1/8/2021
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
China ,
Exceptions ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Final Rules ,
General Licenses ,
Licensing Rules ,
Military End Use ,
National Security ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On August 17, 2020, the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued two final rules that expand the scope of licensing requirements for transactions involving parties on the Entity List. Both rules...more
8/30/2020
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
China ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign-Produced Direct Product Rule (DPR) ,
General Licenses ,
Huawei ,
Licensing Rules ,
New Rules ,
Popular ,
Savings Clause ,
Scope of Coverage ,
Shipping ,
Technology Sector
On April 28, 2020, the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published two new final rules amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). One of the final rules removes license exception Civil...more
5/6/2020
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
China ,
Commerce Control List ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Electronic Export Information (EEI) ,
End-Users ,
Exceptions ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Licensing Rules ,
Military End Use ,
Russia ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
Venezuela
On January 6, 2020, the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued the first "emerging technology" rule to control artificial intelligence-based software specially designed to automate the...more
2/10/2020
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
CFIUS ,
Classification ,
ECCNs ,
Emerging Technologies ,
Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) ,
Exports ,
FIRRMA ,
Imports ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Public Comment ,
Software ,
Software Licenses ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. Commerce Department
Thoughtful business participation in benchmark reviews.
If one or more human rights and ESG benchmarks review—or could soon review—your industry, it may make business sense to participate thoughtfully and/or disclose...more
On January 10, 2020, the President signed a new Executive Order (EO), "Imposing Sanctions With Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran," targeting Iran's construction, mining, manufacturing, and textiles industries. On the same...more
1/15/2020
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Blocked Person ,
Construction Industry ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Manufacturers ,
Metals ,
Mining ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Steel Industry ,
Textiles ,
Trump Administration
The strategic value of paying attention to areas that benchmarks assess -
Some companies are skeptical about engaging with human rights and ESG benchmarking, because they question whether human rights and ESG disclosures...more
1/14/2020
/ Benchmarking ,
Benchmarks ,
Business Strategies ,
Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Data Privacy ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Human Rights ,
Investors ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Shareholders ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Transparency ,
Transparency in Supply Chains Act
What businesses need to know for a strategic approach -
Benchmarks focus on human rights, labor rights, political rights, “digital rights” (human rights in the Internet era) and wider sustainability efforts. They...more
1/13/2020
/ Benchmarks ,
Corporate Governance ,
Digital Rights ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Policies ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Sustainability
What businesses need to know for a strategic approach -
In an increasing number of sectors, companies’ operations and disclosures are publicly evaluated by “benchmarks” that compare their performance on human rights and...more
On November 27, 2019, the US Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on the implementation of Executive Order 13873 (the EO), "Securing the Information and Communications Technology and...more
12/3/2019
/ Executive Orders ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
Jurisdiction ,
National Security ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Public Comment ,
Secretary of Commerce ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department
As corporate responsibility evolves, and the focus on corporate sustainability grows, more businesses in the mining and metals and related sectors are referencing the long-term potential of blockchain technology and platforms...more
10/22/2019
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automotive Industry ,
Blockchain ,
Compliance ,
Conflict Mineral Rules ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Extractive Industry Transparency Rule ,
Human Rights ,
Innovative Technology ,
Internet of Things ,
Metals ,
Minerals ,
Mining ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Transparency
On August 2, 2019, the United States announced the imposition of additional sanctions on the Russian Federation under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act)....more
8/8/2019
/ Banks ,
Biological-Weapons ,
Bonds ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Chemical Warfare ,
Chemical Weapons ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
Trump Administration
The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) and 68 non-US Huawei affiliates to the BIS Entity List, effective May 16, 2019, at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight...more
5/28/2019
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
General Licenses ,
Huawei ,
Network Security ,
Networks ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On May 15, 2019, President Trump issued an executive order (EO), "Executive Order on Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain," prohibiting certain transactions involving...more
5/21/2019
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Controls ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Hackers ,
Indictments ,
Industrial Espionage ,
Information Technology ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommunications ,
Trade Secrets ,
Transfer Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On May 8, 2019, following Iran's announcement that it intends to suspend certain nuclear proliferation-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States issued a new Executive order...more
5/14/2019
/ Blocking Sanctions ,
Blocking Statutes ,
CAPTA List ,
China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
France ,
Germany ,
IFCA ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Metals ,
Nuclear Power ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
SDN List ,
Steel Industry ,
Suspensions ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
Waivers
On January 28, 2019, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). PdVSA...more
2/11/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Blocked Person ,
Coercion ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
GATT ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Petroleum ,
SDN List ,
Trade Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela ,
WTO
On January 27, 2019, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) lifted sanctions imposed on En+ Group plc (En+), UC Rusal plc (Rusal), and JSC EuroSibEnergo (ESE), removing these entities from...more