Sanctions (OFAC)

Since the start of September, the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has settled with two different companies for alleged violations of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. The settlements, the first with World Class Technology Corporation (WCT) and the second with PanAmerican Seed Company (PanAmerican), yielded vastly different outcomes.  As summarized below, we think the divergent results serve to illustrate how OFAC weighs various factors in calculating penalty amounts.

WCT.  On September 7, 2016, OFAC settled with WCT for $43,200 based on alleged violations of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR).  The alleged violations occurred when WCT exported seven shipments of orthodontic devices to Germany, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates with suspicion that the devices would be exported to Iran.  The devices were collectively valued at almost $60,000.  The exports occurred between April 2008 and July 2010.Continue Reading Iran Sanctions: Recent Enforcement Sheds Light on OFAC Penalty Calculations

Key Points:

  • Dozens more Russian and Ukrainian entities have been designated as prohibited / restricted parties
  • A limited General License authorizes transactions, for a brief period of time, to halt business with a specific Russian entity
  • The designations reflect OFAC’s continued use of the “50 percent rule,” and the challenges of diligence on Russian transaction partners

Designations. On September 1, 2016, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 37 individuals and entities pursuant to its Ukraine-related sanctions program.  OFAC last designated individuals and entities under the Ukraine program in December 2015.
Continue Reading Happy September: OFAC Extends Russia/Ukraine Sanctions

On August 2, 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a Finding of Violation against two health insurance providers for activities that violated U.S. economic sanctions. The companies allegedly had issued health insurance policies that covered individuals on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the SDN List).  In general, U.S. companies are prohibited from performing any transaction with or involving parties on the SDN List.
Continue Reading OFAC Dings Two Health Insurance Providers, on the Same Day, for Violating U.S. Sanctions

Despite a host of unanswered questions, national security concerns and political barriers, Boeing announced on June 22, 2016 that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with state-owned Iran Air. If finalized, the agreement would mean that Boeing could sell up to 100 commercial aircraft to Iran, at a cost of roughly $25 billion.

Boeing reportedly obtained a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to execute the MOA and engage in the negotiations that led to its signing. (OFAC is the U.S. government agency that administers most U.S. economic sanctions on Iran.) That authorization was made possible due to a new licensing policy relating to commercial passenger aircraft that OFAC issued in January 2016, following the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the United States and its allies and Iran. The JCPOA significantly scaled back sanctions against Iran.Continue Reading Iran Update: The Significance of the Boeing Deal

We recently authored an article discussing recent updates in U.S. sanctions and their effect on companies engaged in international business, including cyber-related sanctions and enforcement.

As stated in the article, “…through enforcement actions against both large and small companies, the government continues to underscore that any company conducting business internationally – whether directly or through…

On January 27, 2016, the U.S. Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) amended their regulations to further facilitate trade between the United States and Cuba. This is only the most recent set of steps the U.S. government has taken since President Obama announced, in December 2014, that the United States would move toward normalizing relations with Cuba.

While many limitations on trading with Cuba remain in place, the recent amendments ease restrictions related to certain exports and re-exports to Cuba, and travel to the island. The amendments also should make it easier to engage in financial transactions in and with Cuba (so long as the underlying conduct is permitted). Below is a brief summary of the amendments; the amendments themselves are available at 81 Fed. Reg. 4580 (BIS) and 81 Fed. Reg. 4583 (OFAC).

BIS Amendments. BIS controls exports and re-exports of commercial or so-called “dual use” items. Until January 2015, with limited exceptions, BIS prohibited virtually all exports and re-exports of U.S. commercial goods to Cuba. (U.S. defense exports, which are controlled by the State Department, have been and continue to be prohibited for export or re-export to Cuba. This prohibition is unlikely to be lifted any time soon.)Continue Reading The United States (Yet Again) Eases Trade Restrictions on Cuba

On December 22, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated more than 30 individuals and entities under the Ukraine-related sanctions. The designations were made under the auspices of several different executive orders, and thus there are different restrictions on transacting with these parties depending on the basis for each party’s designation. Roughly…

Since our update in April of this year, the U.S. government has continued to aggressively modify and enforce its various sanctions programs. And this trend shows no signs of slowing in the months to come.

As in the first quarter of 2015, the last three months were marked by a combination of broad policy changes, individual designations and removals, and various enforcement actions. While recent developments did not include the overhaul of any sanctions program akin to the Cuba amendments in January, they did set the stage for significant changes in the future.

Here, we consider notable U.S. sanctions developments in the past quarter, and offer our thoughts on what is to come.Continue Reading Keeping Up the Pace: U.S. Sanctions Post a Busy Second Quarter

From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network
From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network

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