Have you ever read a Federal Register notice and immediately felt overwhelmed by terms like “Interim Final Rule” (IFR), “License Exception STA”, or “Country Group A:1”? You’re not alone. Many businesses stop reading at the legal jargon, which means they often miss opportunities that could make exporting easier and more competitive. One recent example is…
If you’ve been bracing for a CMMC Level 2 audit this fall, take a breath, but don’t take your foot off the gas just yet. On July 13, 2026, the Department of War hit pause on CMMC Phase II, the rule that was going to require a formal third-party assessment before you could win or…
What Changed? Well, well, well…UAE, the country that exporters for years have been warned about for diversion risks, was just upgraded to Country Group A:5 and completely removed from Country Group D, specifically D:3 and D:4. (Note that Supplement 1 to Part 740 is yet to be updated, but the press release is on the…
If you are an exporter, chances are you’ve had questions about complying with the export regulations. Understanding the regulations is one thing; applying them correctly in real-world situations is another. If you’ve ever wondered whether other exporters struggle with the same challenges, you’re not alone. Test your export compliance knowledge with some of the most…
When a Shipment Becomes a Crisis and How Export Violations Can Cripple a Company What do General Electric Company, Precision Castparts, RTX, and 3D Systems Corporation all have in common? If you said they all have a public settlement for allegations of violating ITAR regulations, you’re right! In global trade, there’s always pressure to move…
When I think about artificial intelligence, my mind goes straight to the movies. Blade Runner, The Terminator, RoboCop, and of course, Johnny Five from Short Circuit. “Johnny Five is alive!” Still one of the best lines. More recent films like Ex Machina and Her push the idea even further, showing AI as something deeply embedded…
As a Sports Mom, I am familiar with IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida and was shocked to learn that it had violated the export regulations. IMG is an elite sports academy with a state-of-the-art campus that any athlete would drool over, assuming you have over $100,000 per year for attendance. IMG has produced numerous professional…
The Confusing World Of Export Compliance Sometimes the regulations can be confusing and unclear about how to accomplish the tasks required to remain export compliant. One of these examples is Restricted Party Screening, where screening for denied or restricted entities is one of the most crucial risk management tasks within export compliance. All people, even…
Often, when we think of export compliance, our focus is on the Shipping Department and boxes going out the door. But did you know that OFAC recently settled with a Chicago Private Equity fund for $11.48M? This firm had been managing a $50M investment that had ties to Suleiman Kerimov, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and…
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…