On February 21, 2025, President Trump issued the America First Investment Policy Memorandum (“Memorandum”). The Memorandum aims to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) from “allies and partners” while restricting inbound investment from and outbound investment to “foreign adversaries,” such as China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the Nicolás Maduro
President Trump Issues Executive Order on Countering Iran’s Malign Influence
On February 4, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) stating that Iran’s malign behavior and influence threaten the national interest of the United States and that it is “in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop…
OFAC Further Expands Sanctions on Iran for Missile Attack on Israel and Renewed Nuclear Escalations
On December 3, 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it was “intensifying pressure” on Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors by imposing sanctions on 35 entities and vessels “that play a critical role in transporting illicit Iranian petroleum to foreign markets.” This action identifies and imposes further sanctions…
OFAC Expands Sanctions on Iran for Missile Attack on Israel
On October 11, 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it was expanding sanctions on Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors in response to Iran’s October 1 attack on Israel. The Secretary of the Treasury has identified the petroleum and petrochemical sectors of the Iranian economy pursuant to a…
United States and Mexico Act to Protect North American Steel and Aluminum Markets from Unfair Trade
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Posted in Aluminum, Auto Industry, Belarus, China, Country of Origin, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Section 232 Investigations, Steel, Tariffs/Trade Policy
On July 10, 2024, the United States and Mexico jointly announced measures to protect the North American steel and aluminum markets from unfair trade. Both countries will implement policies to prevent tariff evasion on steel and aluminum and undertake efforts to strengthen North American steel and aluminum supply chains. These efforts are intended to prevent…
BIS and OFAC Expand Export Controls and Sanctions on Iran for Aggression Toward Israel and Military Support for Russia
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Posted in Belarus, BIS, EAR, Export Control, Iran, OFAC, Russia, Sanctions, Tariffs/Trade Policy, Trade Remedies, Litigation & Enforcement, Ukraine
On April 18, 2024, the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury announced combined export control restrictions and economic sanctions against Iran for its attack on Israel on April 13, 2024. These actions are intended “to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran’s malign activity, including its UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] program and the revenue the…
BIS Implements Additional Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus
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Effective January 25, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) again expanded export controls and sanctions against Russia for its continuing aggression against Ukraine and Belarus for its complicity in such activities. In a Final Rule, BIS is expanding the scope of the Export Administration Regulations’ (EAR) Russian and Belarusian…
BIS Adds 37 Entities to Entity List for National Security Risk Activities Involving Burma, China, Iran and Russia
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On March 2, 2023, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Final Rule adding 37 entities to the Entity List for contributing to Russia’s military/defense industrial base, supporting China’s military modernization, and facilitating or engaging in human rights abuses in Burma and China, including the following:
- Three entities in Russia,
New Export Control Measures on Iran Address Iranian UAVs and Their Use by Russia in War with Ukraine
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On February 24, 2023, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Final Rule amending the Export Administrations Regulations (EAR) to impose new export control measures on Iran. These measures address the use of Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) (aka, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), aka drones) by Russia in its ongoing…
OFAC Sanctions Facilitators of Iranian Oil Sales
On September 29, 2022, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network of international companies for facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to South and East Asia. OFAC targeted the network, which includes a myriad of front companies in…