Blog Archives

Landmark Deal Reached in Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Iran and the “P5+1” countries (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany) reached a landmark understanding today.  This agreement involved strict limitations and very strict inspections on Iran’s nuclear program, which President Obama claims to be the

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Allaying your bank’s concerns of your lawful Iran transaction

As I often tell my clients, there are major differences in what U.S. sanctions laws on Iran allow and and what actually can happen logistically, the key being that the latter is generally somewhat more narrow and limited than the former.  Most

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Will Russia Face Tougher U.S. and E.U. Sanctions?

There have been a number of reports in recent days that the European Union may ramp up sanctions against Russia following the continuation of the crisis in Ukraine and the Crimea. While there were reports of the EU removing certain

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OFAC Issues New General License for IT Exports to Sudan

OFAC this week issued a new general license expanding the range of informational technology (IT) related goods and services U.S. persons can now export to Sudan.  The amended general license, which went into effect on February 18, is incorporated into the

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U.S. Slaps New Sanctions on North Korea

Following allegations that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or more commonly, North Korea) was involved in certain cyber-terrorist activities involving Sony Pictures, President Obama moved on Friday, January 2 to add to the North Korean sanctions regime by

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Obama Makes Breakthrough Policy Shift on Cuba Embargo and Relations

President Barack Obama today announced a major policy shift making a significant turn in an over half-century theme in U.S. Cuba relations.  This change will bring about a vastly different landscape in bilateral relations and therefore the nature of the U.S.

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Standard Chartered in Sanctions Trouble Again?

Reuters carried a story Sunday about the Office of the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) investigating London-based Standard Chartered bank (known by many as “StanChart”) for potential violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.  According to

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OFAC Issues Much Needed Guidance on Humanitarian Assistance

Moments ago, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released a two page primer on its position on humanitarian assistance to sanctioned jurisdictions.  Although this document is not binding in the sense that it is

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Iran / P5+1 Talks Extended till November: What does it mean for sanctions?

The so-called P5+1 and Iran have decided to extend talks on Iran’s nuclear program for another four months – extending the deadline (which would have been today) till November. What this effectively means is that the sanctions relief afforded Iran

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U.S. and EU Expand Sanctions on Russia

Both the United States and the European Union took further steps today to sanction certain entities within the government of the Russian Federation following the incursion by Russian forces into the Crimea in Ukraine. This action dovetails yesterday’s vote in the

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This website aims to provide notes and commentary on international legal, business, and political developments in economic and other sanctions. It is intended solely for information and entertainment purposes and should in no way be construed as legal advice. Laws, regulations, and policies change from time to time so some information on older posts can very easily be dated. If you have any questions or are unclear on any of the subject matters addressed or discussed on this site, please consult a licensed legal professional. Views presented in the comments and outside links do not necessarily reflect those of the website author. All external links on this website to articles and documents are external and provided for informational purposes only. They have no relation to the author of this website unless specified otherwise.

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