U.S. Lifts Liberia-related Sanctions and Imposes Burundi-related Sanctions
On November 12, 2015, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13710 (here) ending sanctions related to the Republic of Liberia ("Liberia") originally put in place in 2004 under Executive Order...
View ArticleRussia to Impose Sanctions against Turkey
As of November 26, 2015 Russia has started imposing trade restrictions on Turkey. Specifically, as announced by Russian media, Prime Minister Medvedev has requested the Government to prepare within...
View ArticleUK restrictions on services relating to hydrazine imports and exports to Russia
On 16 December 2015, the Export Control (Russia, Crimea and Sevastopol Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2015 (the "Order") will come into force in the UK, restricting the provision of assistance relating...
View ArticlePresident Putin approves Russian sanctions against Turkey
On November 28, 2015 President Putin signed Decree No. 583 “On Measures to Ensure State Security and Protection of Russian Citizens from Criminal and Other Unlawful Actions and on Application of...
View ArticleUK Parliament launches inquiry into the UK's relations with Russia
The UK Foreign Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s policy towards Russia and the broader UK-Russian bilateral relationship. As part of this,...
View ArticleU.S. Government Issues General License Authorizing Certain Otherwise...
On December 7, 2015, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued a six-month general license (“General License 20”) to allow certain transactions otherwise prohibited...
View ArticleEU extends sanctions against Russia until 31 July 2016
The Council of the European Union has announced today, on 21 December 2015, that the EU is formally extending their economic sanctions against Russia until 31 July 2016. The EU has previously linked...
View ArticleU.S. Government adds New Parties to the SDN and SSI Lists under...
On December 22, 2015, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced that it had added 34 parties (i.e., 12 individuals and 22 entities) to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked...
View ArticleRussia's sanctions against Turkey will affect work and services provided by...
On December 28, 2015 President Putin issued new Decree No. 669 ("Decree No. 669") supplementing the foreign trade sanctions against Turkey that were imposed earlier by Presidential Decree No. 583,...
View ArticleUS Government Issues Cyber-Related Sanctions Regulations
On Thursday, December 31, 2015, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued the Cyber-Related Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 578 (“Regulations”), which...
View ArticleNew sanctions expected following North Korea's nuclear test
As a result of the DPRK's recent nuclear testing, the United Nations Security Council ("UNSC") held on Wednesday an emergency meeting called by the US, Japan and South Korea. Following the meeting, the...
View ArticleIran: UK HM Treasury updates their FAQs on doing business with Iran
The UK's HM Treasury has updated their existing FAQs on doing business with Iran. Amongst these FAQs is guidance on whether UK firms can sign MoUs/conditional contracts before Implementation Day that...
View ArticleIran: JPOA sanctions relief extended until 28 January 2016
The EU has today extended, until 28 January 2016, the temporary Iran sanctions relief that was agreed under the Joint Plan of Action (and expired on 14 January). The relief is extended while the...
View ArticleEU and US Sanctions Relief for Iran Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of...
On Saturday, January 16, 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency (“IAEA”) certified that Iran had fulfilled its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”)...
View ArticleLifting of Swiss sanctions against Iran following Implementation Day
The Swiss Government, in a statement issued today (17 January 2016), has welcomed the implementation of the JCPOA and congratulated the E3/EU+3 (China, Russia, USA, Germany, France and the UK) and Iran...
View ArticleUK BIS issues Notice to Exporters on lifting of nuclear-related sanctions...
The UK's Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has today published a Notice to UK exporters, Notice 2016/05, on the lifting of the EU nuclear-related sanctions against Iran:...
View ArticleEuropean Union External Action Service (EEAS) publishes Information Note on...
The European Union External Action Service (EEAS) has published an Information Note detailing the EU nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions that were lifted on Implementation Day pursuant to...
View ArticleIran: Sky News interviews B&M Partner on the JCPOA
Baker & McKenzie London's Sunny Mann discusses with Sky News the impact of the JCPOA on existing EU and US sanctions against Iran and highlights key practical considerations for companies looking...
View ArticleOverview of U.S. “Implementation Day” Sanctions Relief Under the JCPOA
Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”), Saturday, January 16, 2016, was “Implementation Day.” On that date, the U.S. Government relaxed certain sanctions against Iran after the...
View ArticleOverview of EU “Implementation Day” Sanctions Relief Under the JCPOA
IntroductionOn Saturday, 16 January 2016, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA"), confirmed that Iran had dismantled significant elements of its nuclear programme and...
View ArticleIran: Germany publishes guidance on the arms embargo
BAFA, the German export control authority, has today published guidance on the scope of the arms embargo against Iran. This can be accessed at:...
View ArticleU.S. Government Takes Additional Steps to Relax Comprehensive Embargo of Cuba
On January 26, 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced amendments (the...
View ArticleCanada will lift some sanctions against Iran
On January 26, 2016, the Government of Canada announced that it would begin to lift some sanctions on Iran; for the time being, however, comprehensive economic sanctions remain in place. Canada imposes...
View ArticleEU removes two further Iranian banks from sanctions list
On 23 January 2016, the EU removed two Iranian banks - Bank Sepah and its subsidiary, Bank Sepah International - from sanctions lists (the EU measure can be found here). These two banks will now be...
View ArticleCanada Relaxes Sanctions Targeting Iran
On February 5, 2016, the Government of Canada announced changes to its comprehensive economic and trade sanctions against Iran. The changes signal Canada's willingness to re-engage in dialogue with...
View ArticleBaker & McKenzie Iran Trade Roadshow on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
Please register by clicking on one of the links below:http://bakerxchange.com/rv/ff0025665dbf154f6d5851deeb44a547e6972fd9http://www.bakermckenzie.com/irantraderoadshow/
View ArticlePresident Signs New North Korea Sanctions Bill into Law
On February 18, 2016, the President signed into law the “North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016” (H.R. 757) (the “NKSPEA”), which passed Congress by an overwhelming majority in the...
View ArticleEU Sanctions against Belarus
On 25 February 2016, the Council of the EU decided not to prolong restrictive measures against 170 individuals and 3 companies from Belarus (sanctions against these entities were already suspended...
View ArticleAustralia removes financial countermeasures for Iran
The Australian Government has removed the requirement for financial institutions to obtain a permit for financial transactions with Iran exceeding AUD 20,000. These were known as "financial...
View ArticleImmediate legal effect to UNSCR sanctions lists under Swiss law
Today, the Swiss Federal Council has adopted a new regulation about automatic implementation of UNSCR sanctions lists into Swiss law. This will enable changes to UNSCR sanctions lists to become...
View ArticleUN, US, EU, and Switzerland impose tough new sanctions on North Korea as a...
Introduction Following the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's ("DPRK" or "North Korea") latest nuclear test and rocket launch on 6 January 2016 and 7 February 2016 respectively, the UN Security...
View ArticleU.S. Commerce Department Imposes Comprehensive Export Restrictions on Chinese...
On March 8, 2016, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS") issued a final rule (effective upon publication and with grandfathering limited to items already en route aboard a...
View ArticleU.S. Government Takes Additional Steps to Relax Comprehensive Embargo of Cuba
On March 15, 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") and the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS") announced further amendments (the...
View ArticleUS Government Expands Sanctions Targeting North Korea
On 16 March 2016, President Barack Obama issued a new Executive Order (the “Order”) imposing additional sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“North Korea”). As a result of these new...
View ArticleCanada Names Additional Russian and Ukrainian Individuals and Entities as...
On March 18, 2016, Canada further expanded its sanctions against Russia and Ukraine, adding 2 individuals and 10 entities to the list of designated persons under Schedule 1 of the Special Economic...
View ArticleU.S. Commerce Department To Issue Temporary General License Relaxing Export...
On Thursday, March 24, 2016, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) is scheduled to publish a temporary general license in the Federal Register relating to Zhongxing...
View ArticleBrexit - Are You Ready?
The referendum to be held on 23 June 2016 will offer UK voters the choice of (i) remaining in the EU, or (ii) leaving, a so-called "Brexit". The referendum is shrouded by uncertainty, both as to the...
View ArticleUK publishes another new SI for enforcement of Iran Sanctions
The UK government has published the Export Control (Iran Sanctions) Order 2016 (the "2016 Sanctions Order"), which will come into force on 6 May 2016, replacing the Export Control (Iran Sanctions)...
View ArticleUK publishes another new SI for enforcement of Iran Sanctions
The UK government has published the Export Control (Iran Sanctions) Order 2016 (the "2016 Sanctions Order"), which will come into force on 6 May 2016, replacing the Export Control (Iran Sanctions)...
View ArticleBrexit - Export Controls and Sanctions Considerations
With the UK referendum on a so-called "Brexit" set to take place in under two months, businesses should start considering what effect leaving the European Union ("EU") will have for them. In our...
View ArticleEU extends sanctions against Myanmar/Burma until 30 April 2017
By Decision (CFSP) 2016/627 of 21 April 2016, the Council of the European Union has extended the EU sanctions against Myanmar/Burma until 30 April 2017.
View ArticleRecent UK Developments
A couple of recent sanctions developments bring UK enforcement in this area in the spotlight. 1. OFSI established; new guidance issuedOn 31 March 2016 the Office of Financial Sanctions...
View ArticleEU implements and extends UN Sanctions on North Korea
The EU has amended the regulation underpinning its sanctions regime on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ("DPRK").On 4 May 2016 (Council Regulation (EU) 2016/682) (the "EU Regulation")...
View ArticleU.S. Government Eases Sanctions Targeting Burma and Amends SDN List
On 17 May 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced amendments to the Burmese Sanctions Regulations (“BSR”), 31 C.F.R. Part 537, by issuing new and...
View Article
