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By Curtis M. Dombek

On February 25, 2011, the President issued an Executive Order blocking not only the assets of Muammar Qadhafi, Ayesha Qadhafi, Khamis Qadhafi, Mutassim Qadhafi, and Saif Al Islam Al Qadhafi, but also blocking all assets of the Government of Libya, as follows:
 

“All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the Government of Libya, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities, and the Central Bank of Libya, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.”
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Continue Reading New Sanctions Block Continuing Performance Of Libyan Government Contracts In Addition To Targeting Col. Qadhafi’s Assets

On February 23, 2011, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the appointment of Sheppard Mullin partner Curt Dombek to the President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (“PECSEA”), which will advise the Commerce Department on the administration’s export control reform initiative.
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Continue Reading Sheppard Mullin Partner Curt Dombek Appointed To The President’s Export Council Subcommittee On Export Administration

By Jessica M. Madon

Effective September 29, 2010, the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (“FAR Councils”) issued an interim rule amending the FAR to implement sections of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (“CISADA”), signed into law on July 1, 2010. 75 Fed. Reg. 60254 (Sept. 29, 2010).
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Continue Reading Implementation Of CISADA: New FAR Requirements

By John M. Hynes

On August 27, 2010, the Department of State amended section 125.4(b)(9) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) to clarify an exemption to the license requirement related to the hand-carrying of technical data outside the United States.
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Continue Reading ITAR License Exemption Amended To Allow Hand-Carrying Of Technical Data Outside The United States

By John W. Chierichella and Jessica M. Madon

As a follow-up to our previous blog article, available here, we provide this month a more in depth analysis of some of the key features of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (“CISADA”) passed July 1, 2010. Our focus this month is on the expansion of the types of activities and persons that may be sanctioned. We also address the new mandatory representation and certification for government contractors. Finally, we note that the EU and Canada have imposed similar sanctions against Iranian transactions and we provide a brief synopsis of those sanctions.
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Continue Reading Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, And Divestment Act Of 2010 – The Expanded Categories Of Sanctionable Activities

By John W. Chierichella and Jessica M. Madon

On July 1, 2010, President Obama signed the Comprehensive Iran Sanction, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (“CISADA”). CISADA expands many existing restrictions and includes many new provisions designed to reach foreign firms currently doing business with Iran. More details into the impact of this legislation will emerge as the agencies charged with implementing this legislation issue their regulations.
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Continue Reading New Iranian Sanctions Legislation: Summary of Key Provisions

By Curtis M. Dombek

On June 25, 2010, the Administration issued the long-awaited regulations implementing the changes from the last Wassenaar Plenary Session and seeking to reduce the regulatory burden on exporters of encryption products under the ENC license exception.  See Encryption Export Controls:  Revision of License Exception ENC and Mass Market Eligibility, Submission Procedures, Reporting Requirements, License Application Requirements, and Addition of Note 4 to Category 5, Part 2; Interim Final Rule, 75 Fed. Reg. 36482 (June 25, 2010).
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Continue Reading New Encryption Export Rules Relax Regulatory Burden For Many End-Products But Also Raise Many New Questions

By Curtis M. Dombek

On March 25, 2010, the Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS") created three new Export Control Classification Numbers ("ECCNs") to control security equipment using specified types of millimeter wave technology, including related software and technology, for regional stability and anti-terrorist reasons. New ECCN 2A984 has been added to the Commerce Control List to control concealed object detection equipment operating in the frequency range from 30 GHz to 3000 GHz and having a spatial resolution of 0.5 milliradian up to and including 1 milliradian at a standoff distance of 100 meters. A Technical Note to the new ECCN indicates that the range of frequencies covered is what is generally referred to as the millimeter-wave, submillimeter-wave and terahertz frequency regions.
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Continue Reading BIS Issues New Export Controls on Millimeter Wave Security Equipment, Software and Technology

In comments released on March 12, 2010, the Administration announced that it will be shifting the current encryption review request process under 15 C.F.R. section 740.17 to an on-line system, with the objective of reducing review times from 30-60 days to 30 minutes. While industry will welcome the shortening of the review waiting period, the current regulations already allow many encryption exports to our largest trading partners, those listed in Part 740, Supplement 3, as well as exports to other countries of items described in section 740.17(b)(1)(ii), to occur during the waiting period. There is no indication that the change would add countries like China or India to Supplement 3. As described, it also would not alter the technical definition of encryption products requiring review or result in any expansion of the existing exception for "ancillary cryptography." Without more fundamental changes along these lines, the ultimate impact of the review request change will probably be minimal.
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Continue Reading Administration to Expedite Encryption Reviews and Amend ITAR Citizenship Definition

At their December 2009 Plenary Session, the member countries of the Wassenaar Arrangement on dual-use export controls adopted a new Note 4 to Category 5 – Part 2 of the Dual-Use List covering information security and encryption. 
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Continue Reading Stay Tuned for Implementation of Ancillary Cryptography Changes Adopted by December 2009 Wassenaar Plenary Session