January 2012 Volume 26, Number 1
Features
Wassenaar Takes More Assertive Role in Offering Compliance Advice
The Wassenaar Arrangement revealed a more assertive attitude toward common export controls with its adoption of four advisory guidelines at its Dec. 13-14, 2011, plenary on "Best Practices" for internal compliance programs, reexports and transfers between third countries.
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Focus on Enforcement
Commerzbank's N.Y. Branch Pays $175,000 Fine to Settle Cuban Sanctions Charges
Commerzbank AG's New York branch has agreed to pay a $175,500 civil fine to Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to settle apparent...
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Export Radar Parts to Undercover Agent
Andrew Silcox of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty Dec. 15, 2011, in San Antonio U.S. District Court to violating the Arms Export Control Act...
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Judge Overturns Lindsey's FCPA Convictions for Prosecutor Misconduct
It was the first jury conviction of a company for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). But in a major setback for government...
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Nine Ex-Siemens Executives Charged with Bribing Argentine Officials for $1 Billion Contract
Three years after Siemens paid the largest fine ever for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), nine of its former executives were...
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Innospec Agent Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Bribing Iraqi Officials under UN Program
A former agent for Innospec Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of fuel additives, was sentenced in D.C. U.S. District Court to 30 months in...
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Aon Pays $16 Million to Settle FCPA Charges in Deals with SEC, Justice
Aon Corporation, a Chicago-based global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance, agreed to pay $14.5 million to the...
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Oregon Man Charged with Attempting to Export Illegally Military-Grade Rifle Scopes
If there's one lesson to learn when avoiding export controls, it is: Don't sell your wares on eBay. Geoffrey B. Roose of Corvallis, Oregon, was...
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Lanier Marine Liquidators Settles OFAC Charges It Violated Sudanese Sanctions
Lanier Marine Liquidators (LML) of Dawsonville, Ga., has agreed to pay $13,500 to settle charges of violating the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations...
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Justice FCPA Gun Show Case Setback as Judge Drops Conspiracy Charge
In its case against 22 arms dealers for allegedly violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the government may have bitten off more than...
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Inside BIS
In Settlements, BIS Will Switch "Probation" for "Suspension" When Delaying Penalties
As part of the Obama administration's effort to get Congress to go along with the transfer of thousands of items from the U.S. Munitions List...
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ETRAC Members Urge More Investment, Coordination on Emerging Technologies
Citing the shrinking U.S. lead in research and technology and the limited resources of government agencies involved in protecting that lead, the...
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Industry Use of STA License Exception Off to Slow Start, But BIS Plans More Outreach
U.S. exporters have been slow to embrace the use of License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA), which became available in July. Since...
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BIS Looking for Ways to Enhance Appeal of Special Comprehensive Licenses
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) would like more exporters to take advantage of the availability of Special Comprehensive Licenses (SCLs)...
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New BIS Intelligence Unit Will Give Export Licenses Early Review
A newly created Information Triage Unit (ITU) in the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will screen export license applications as they are...
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Policy Briefs
EU Extends Export Controls to Goods Used for Capital Punishment or Torture
States that use capital punishment will have to look outside Europe for its anesthetics and electric shock cuffs. The European Commission, the...
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Census Considers Barring EAR Items from Option 4 Post-Departure Reporting
In an attempt to win Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agreement to keep the Option 4, Post-Departure reporting program available to old and new...
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White House Won't Send Congress Export Reform Legislation for Now
The White House wants to wait until it has accomplished most of the steps in Phases I and II of its Export Control Reform (ECR) initiative before...
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Administration to Harmonize Temporary and Permanent Import Licensing Rules
The Obama administration is drafting rules to harmonize temporary import licensing requirements administered by State's Directorate of Defense...
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Korea Joins International Push to Impose New Sanctions against Iran
In another sign of the growing international consensus in support of sanctions against Iran, South Korea has designated 99 entities and six...
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Obama Signs Bill to Increase Sanctions on Iran but with Presidential Waiver Allowed
Congress continues to put pressure on the Obama administration to increase sanctions on Iran, while still giving the president discretion on...
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Wassenaar Adopts Best Practices for Export Compliance and Approves Some 40 List Changes
U.S. and foreign exporters of controlled goods and technology will have a baseline model for what an internal compliance program (ICP) should look...
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Regulatory Briefs
Long-Awaited Proposal to Amend ITAR Brokering Rules Gets Mixed Industry Reaction
In a long-promised and long-delayed proposal to amend the brokering rules in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), State's...
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State Proposes New Category XIX for Gas Turbine Engines and Revises Plans for Category VII
Now that the Obama administration has stepped back from its more ambitious export control reform goal of tiering, some of its previous proposals...
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BIS, State Proposals for Categories VI and XX Divide Surface Vessels, Submarines
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and State Department kept export control reform rolling Dec. 23, 2011, with two sets of parallel proposed...
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Proposed Changes to Satellite Controls in Category XV Await Defense Risk Assessment Report
When the Defense Department sends Congress its long-delayed assessment of the impact of current export controls on satellites and satellite...
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BIS Adds Two to Entity List for Shipping U.S.-Origin Internet Blocking Devices to Syria
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added one individual and one company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to its Entity List in the Federal...
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