Screening is an essential element of all export compliance programs. Serious penalties for noncompliance do exist in this area, even when it’s unintentional. It’s important that every exporter be aware of some basic best practices for effective and successful screening. Garbage In – Garbage Out… Data integrity is crucial! We’ve all heard the saying garbage…
Ready … Set … Stop! After being active for nearly a month, the new BIS Affiliates Rule is on “pause” until November 9, 2026. The Bureau of Industry and Security has suspended the implementation of the so-called “50% rule” for one year, starting November 10, 2025. This suspension was part of a trade agreement with…
Individuals Can Be Debarred Too Most know that companies that violate the export regulations can be fined, penalized and lose their right to export. But did you know that not only companies, but individuals can also be held to that same standard? And that some of these individuals are located right here in the United…
Years ago, I heard an enforcement official describe deemed exports like “hugging a cloud.” As soon as you had your arms around a situation, it would dissipate – evaporating into mist, expanding, visibly there, but at the same time, somehow, not there. Fast forward to today, and the same government agency is trying to get…
Deemed export laws are complicated. They can be confusing for all people – even Elon Musk. The serial entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX recently tweeted an (inaccurate) interpretation of U.S. export controls laws. This stems from the Department of Justice suing SpaceX for alleged discriminatory hiring practices. Musk tweeted: US law requires at least a…
Do you think export control laws take precedence over employment laws? Think again. Recently, two settlement agreements between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. companies highlight the complicated scenarios faced by many HR departments today. Let’s take a closer look at General Motors and American CyberSystems Inc. More importantly, let’s find out what can…
Export compliance can sometimes feel like a jigsaw puzzle that keeps adding pieces faster than you can find out where they go. In recent years, these regulations continue to change and become more complex. (Just count the pages in the Federal Register notices. They keep piling up!) Now more than ever, it’s crucial to understand…
“We don’t export anything.” This is something we hear all the time. Sometimes, it’s followed by: “Well, we do ship stuff to Canada. Does that count?” (Pro Tip: Yes, it counts.) But other times, our clients really don’t put something in a box and send it to a foreign country. Yet, they still need help….
Eighteen years before he wrote Jurassic Park, the novelist Michael Crichton penned a different story titled The Terminal Man. It’s about a computer scientist who undergoes surgery to cure his seizures – having 40 different electrodes embedded in the amygdala part of his brain and connected to a small computer in his shoulder. Spoiler alert! …
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a stark warning to companies and individuals worldwide. Export and sanctions enforcement efforts are on the rise. Especially for anyone who engages with China, Russia, North Korea or Iran. During a keynote address on October 5 in New York, associate deputy attorney general John…