On 25 February 2023, the EU adopted its tenth sanctions package against Russia. More industrial, high-tech and aviation goods are now banned for export to Russia, while Russian bitumen and related materials, synthetic rubber...more
The EU has issued its eighth “package” of sanctions measures on Russia. Meanwhile, US agencies have issued guidance on “secondary” sanctions enforcement, designated additional SDNs, and restricted further exports to Russia —...more
On July 20, 2022, the United States requested consultations with Mexico under the Dispute Settlement chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), arguing that several of Mexico’s energy policies are...more
Authored by our Global Sanctions Team On 3 June 2022, the EU adopted a new round of sanctions against Russia and Belarus, banning the purchase, import or transfer into the EU of crude oil and petroleum products originating in...more
Authored by our Global Sanctions Team On 10 and 29 June 2022, Switzerland expanded existing sanctions and implemented new measures in response to Russia's ongoing military aggression in Ukraine. This new sanction set is in...more
On January 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an advisory for businesses and individuals doing business in Burma. Specifically, the business advisory cautions business and individuals to be aware of exposure...more
The Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) tasks the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with regulating the U.S. derivatives markets. A December 3, 2020 , required it “to pay more than $95 million in civil monetary penalties...more
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador introduced a legislative initiative on March 26 to reform Mexico’s Hydrocarbon Law (the Hydrocarbons Reform) that is aimed to impair investors in the sector. While the...more
On March 26, 2021, Mexico's president submitted to the Chamber of Representatives (Cámara de Diputados) a bill to reform the Hydrocarbons Law (Ley de Hidrocarburos or LH) (the LH Reform) that favors the state-owned company,...more
On March 26, 2021, the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (“AMLO”), sent a new bill to Congress intended to amend the Federal Hydrocarbons Law (the “Hydrocarbons Bill”). This is AMLO’s latest attempt to upend...more
In a landmark action on December 3, 2020, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced resolution of its first enforcement action involving foreign corruption by issuing an order and settling charges against...more
Holland & Knight's Venezuela Focus Team invites you to read our Venezuela Update, in which we discuss the latest news, trends and developments in Venezuela that impact the interests of businesses across all industry sectors....more
Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison already owns about 98% of Lanai, a small Hawaiian island with approximately 3,000 residents nine miles from and politically part of Maui. Two weeks ago, the island announced that...more
New Presidential Regulations on the Use of Indonesian Language - The new regulation, President of the Republic of Indonesia Regulation Number 63 of 2019 regarding the Use of Indonesian Language (“PR No. 63/2019”), affirms...more
Pemex, the Mexican national oil company, recently published its 2019-2023 business plan which outlines the economic strategy that Pemex and its subsidiaries will adopt and implement during that period. Pemex’s business plan...more
Here’s an update on recent political, social, and economic developments in Venezuela. From our perspective as a blog focused on insolvency and restructuring topics, the upshot of what’s been taking place in Venezuela is that...more
During the recent presidential campaign, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (commonly referred to as AMLO) stated his intention to fund additional gasoline refining capacity for PEMEX, the monopoly state-owned national oil...more
The incoming Brazilian administration is embarking on a program to sell equity interests and grant concessions in over 100 state-owned entities, as part of its effort to pay Brazil’s public debt and reduce the role of...more
• 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
As a result of the 2013 constitutional reform, Petróleos Mexicanos ("PEMEX") was transformed into a productive state-owned enterprise directed by a General Director and a Board of Directors. Currently, each of them has...more
• Four years ago, Brazilian authorities began Operation Car Wash, a wide-ranging and still ongoing corruption and money laundering investigation that has spanned 11 countries. • The fallout continues with a recent U.S....more
Most of the Mexican port infrastructure is assigned to Port Authority bodies, which are mainly state-owned corporations that run all aspects of operation and allocation of activities inside each port. Among other activities,...more
The United States has taken significant steps toward fully implementing the sanctions imposed on Russia pursuant to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, which codifies and strengthens certain...more
The Situation: Vietnam, like other developing countries, is challenged by the prominence of state-owned enterprises throughout its economy. The Development: The Vietnamese government has directed that state ownership in a...more