It’s almost Thanksgiving and when I think Thanksgiving, I think about traditions. Truthfully, no one in my family even likes turkey and we’ve discussed deviating from eating it every year, but we just can’t do it! Why? Tradition! We have all kinds of traditions at this time of year: fighting over (ahem, I mean breaking)…
Export classification can be tricky enough on its own, but add in encryption and you have a whole different ball game. I like to equate encryption to baseball, because putting something into an analogy helps me understand it better. An entire game of baseball from beginning to end can be really hard to sit through…
On August 30th, BIS published Due Diligence Guidance regarding exports, re-exports, and transfers to Pakistan. With the increased concern regarding Pakistan’s nuclear program and risks of diversion, BIS is urging companies to conduct additional due diligence when it comes to transactions destined for Pakistan. The guidance highlights supplemental licensing requirements, as well as best practices…
We all get stuck in our ways sometimes. Some of us have had the same hair since 1980, others of us can’t let go of that old sweatshirt from high school. Some have trouble embracing the latest fashion trends. Those things can all be overlooked, but your Compliance Manual should always embrace the latest regulations….
Capital One is famous for its slogan, “What’s in your wallet?” But in the world of trade compliance officers, the pertinent question might be, “What’s in your compliance plan?” Earlier this year, OFAC published “A Framework for Compliance Commitments.” This framework provides direction and insight into what the agency believes are essential elements of a…
After a delay due to the government shutdown, the U.S. government recently announced increases to civil penalties for export related violations. Pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, civil penalties for export related violations should have increased on 3 January 2019. However, given the fact that the USG was…
“Hey Alexa, are you a U.S. Person?” Imagine this. A conference call with your foreign-based customer is about to begin. Today’s agenda includes technical discussions of recent upgrades and changes to the designs of some ITAR-controlled items. Your Trade Compliance Officer has reviewed the material and confirmed that export authorizations are in place approving the…
This is the second post in a series of blogs about the proposed changes to USML Categories I, II and III. Please check back for further articles in this series. For more information about these changes, and the movement of items from ITAR to EAR, check out Part 1 in our series and read the…
This is the first in a series of blogs about the proposed changes to USML Categories I, II and III. Please check back for more updates soon. For more information about these changes, and the movement of items from ITAR to EAR, read our post on the latest firearms Export Control Reform updates. One…
If you’ve spent any time in trade compliance, you’ve probably come across the term “reasonable care.” But what, exactly, does that mean? The ambiguous nature of this phrase has caused many different interpretations over the years. Let’s review some practical ways to apply this principle to your global trade compliance program. The idea of “reasonable…