It just got more expensive to violate U.S. import/export regulations. In recent weeks, the various governmental agencies who administer and enforce these regulations have released updated penalty amounts. The main culprit? Everyone’s favorite “I” word – inflation! Here’s a rundown of the new changes. Directorate of Defense Trade Control (DDTC) DDTC is the Department of…
It isn’t very often that we get to tell you the government has made your life easier, but today is that day! Starting on August 1st, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) issued two Open General Licenses (OGLs) as a pilot program. DDTC implemented the program in order to further its mission of ensuring…
Remember the postcard tax return? It’s been touted by various government officials since 1950. The idea is simple (and beautiful): What if you could file your taxes on a simple, easy-to-use postcard? Just imagine all the hours you could save! Or how about Form 1040EZ? The name itself underscores the simplicity. That is, until you…
It’s that time of year when many of us start eyeing up those projects around the house we’ve been ignoring and start thinking about spring cleaning. Did you know that 76% of Americans engage in spring cleaning? Depending on the type of person you are, this can elicit feelings of dread or excitement. While most…
Over the past month, we’ve been inundated with calls and emails from people trying to export defense items to Ukraine. Mostly firearms, ammunition and body armor. The majority of these questions seem to come from former U.S. military personnel who are travelling to that area of the world to lend their expertise and help. It…
If you made a list of corporations that you’d never want to battle in court, which one would be at the top of that list? Perhaps one with $200 billion in cash? Maybe one with a market cap of $2.8 trillion and the second-most valuable brand in the world? Last month, a small Israeli company…
On November 21, 2021, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) published seventeen (17) new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning a variety of compliance topics, more specifically on debarment, export controls and voluntary disclosures. The full list of FAQs may be found on the DDTC website. While the FAQs are an effort to clarify previously…
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…
James Bond makes it look so easy. Zooming around in sports cars with an array of techno-gadgets at his fingertips, he outwits his adversaries and saves the world. He does all of this while wearing tailor-made suits and sipping martinis. After defeating every foe, he jets off to a villa in the French Riviera, where…
Russia Added To Section 126.1 On March 18, the U.S. Department of State amended the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to include Russia in Section 126.1. This coincides with other actions by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). All…