The public has until Tuesday, September 13, 2011, to submit comments on the proposed EAR revisions. For more information, you can download the Federal Register notice here.
US Government Report on Iran Sanctions, Communications Technology
The Congress directed the GAO to “review issues related to Iran’s monitoring, filtering, and disruption of information and communications flows in two mandates: (1) Section 106 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA) requires us to review a procurement ban against entities that export technologies to the Iranian government for monitoring, filtering, and disrupting informationandcommunicationsflows, and (2) Senate Report 111-201 related to the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 directs us to identify entities that have a financial interest in the development of Iran’s ability to monitor, filter, and disrupt information and communication flows and determine which entities have contracts with the U.S. government.”
The report is available for dowload here.
U.S. Updates Economic Sanctions Regulations
U.S. Imposes New Economic Sanctions on Iranian Entities
“The steps we have taken this week seek to limit Iran’s ability to use the global financial system to pursue illicit activities. We have made important progress in isolating Iran, but we cannot waver. Our efforts must be unrelenting to sharpen the choice for Iran’s leaders to abandon their dangerous course,” says a joint statement issued by the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury.
The following entities and individuals were added to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list:
- Benham Shariyari
- Iran Air
- Iran Air Tours
- Mehr-E Eqtesad-E Iranian Investment Company
- Tidewater Middle East Company
Poblete Tamargo expects global economic sanctions toward Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law, to increase in the foreseeable future. The U.S. Congress is also considering numerous new pieces of legislation and have been pressuring the Obama Administration to ratchet pressure on the Iranian through robust use of U.S. sanctions.
For additional information, visit the OFAC website.
USG Announces New Export Control License Exception, Strategic Trade Authorization
“This is an important first step towards creating a system that addresses the serious threats we face in today’s changing economic and technological landscape. This new license exception will eliminate the need for U.S. exporters to seek licenses in nearly 3,000 types of transactions annually, affecting an estimated $1.4 billion in goods and technology,” Locke said. “The new license exception will allow us to focus our resources on items that pose a significant national security risk and help facilitate U.S. exports,” added Locke.
Under the new exception, exports of a large amount of controlled items to more than thirty trade partners will not need a license. However, exporters will still need to secure assurances from the end-user that it will not sell or share the technology. The new rule was published in the Federal Register.