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Client Advisory: US and EU Sanctions Policies on Humanitarian Exports and COVID-19 Relief

By Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Ed Krauland, Meredith Rathbone, Guy Soussan, Hena Schommer, Nicholas Turner, Jack Hayes, Peter Ibrahim, Stefan Tsakanakis & Eléonore Colin on April 8, 2020
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Exporters, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, and individuals that are subject to US jurisdiction may require a license from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to support COVID-19 relief efforts in territories subject to comprehensive US sanctions (e.g., Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria) and territories whose governments are subject to stringent US sanctions (e.g., Venezuela). Their shipments may also be subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). EU persons are also subject to EU sanctions regulations, which may differ significantly from US sanctions.

In this advisory we provide a brief summary of humanitarian general licenses (GLs) and license exceptions that may apply to COVID-19 relief efforts and other humanitarian activities. To assist in navigating these complex rules, we also provide a chart of relevant GLs and license exceptions contained in OFAC regulations and the EAR.

Click here to read the full Client Advisory.

Click here to access the interactive chart of US humanitarian general licenses.

Photo of Ed Krauland Ed Krauland

Edward J. Krauland focuses on export controls/economic sanctions. Ed’s extensive experience includes representing clients on matters involving US and multilateral economic sanctions, defense and nuclear export controls, dual-use export controls under the EAR, anti-boycott compliance, internal investigations and enforcement work, and review of…

Edward J. Krauland focuses on export controls/economic sanctions. Ed’s extensive experience includes representing clients on matters involving US and multilateral economic sanctions, defense and nuclear export controls, dual-use export controls under the EAR, anti-boycott compliance, internal investigations and enforcement work, and review of government procurement regulations in the cross-border context. His practice spans all aspects of these laws, including counseling, compliance work, transactional advice, licensing and opinion work, internal reviews, disclosures, and enforcement actions. He has served as co-chair of the International Trade Committee of the ABA Section of International Law and Practice. He is former Chairman of an ABA-wide Task Force on Gatekeeper Regulation (anti-money laundering compliance), and senior adviser to the ABA Section of International Law and Practice’s anti-money laundering committee.

Read Ed’s full bio.

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Photo of Meredith Rathbone Meredith Rathbone

Meredith Rathbone focuses on export controls and economic sanctions, and has assisted clients in the energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, information security, banking, insurance, pharmaceutical, and service industries, among many others, in navigating the requirements of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms…

Meredith Rathbone focuses on export controls and economic sanctions, and has assisted clients in the energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, information security, banking, insurance, pharmaceutical, and service industries, among many others, in navigating the requirements of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and US sanctions regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and US Department of State. She regularly assists companies in developing compliance policies, conducting internal investigations, performing training, and conducting due diligence in M&A transactions. She has represented individuals and companies facing civil and criminal investigations in this area, and has also represented clients in their efforts to be removed from OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). She is a frequent writer and speaker on export controls and sanctions topics. She is the co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee, and also serves on the Sanctions Subcommittee of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.

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Photo of Guy Soussan Guy Soussan

Guy Soussan advises clients on various aspects of EU and French export control regulations, including controls and licensing regimes for both military and commercial products and technologies. His export practice covers compliance development and implementation, internal investigations, and enforcement matters, including voluntary disclosures.

Guy Soussan advises clients on various aspects of EU and French export control regulations, including controls and licensing regimes for both military and commercial products and technologies. His export practice covers compliance development and implementation, internal investigations, and enforcement matters, including voluntary disclosures. He also provides advice and assistance with EU economic sanctions targeting specific countries such as Iran, Libya, Syria, and most recently, Ukraine and Russia. His experience covers a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, banking and insurance, petroleum and petro-chemicals, aerospace, and defense. He has conducted internal compliance audits, provided assistance on company compliance programs, and counseled clients on the application of the rules to specific transactions.

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Photo of Jack Hayes Jack Hayes

Jack Hayes has extensive experience providing clients with advice and assistance under ITAR and EAR, as well as US economic sanctions and anti-boycott regulations. Jack frequently handles complex export control matters, including voluntary disclosures, internal investigations of apparent export control violations, pre-closing and…

Jack Hayes has extensive experience providing clients with advice and assistance under ITAR and EAR, as well as US economic sanctions and anti-boycott regulations. Jack frequently handles complex export control matters, including voluntary disclosures, internal investigations of apparent export control violations, pre-closing and post-closing acquisition export compliance due diligence, export control audits, and assessments of compliance obligations and risks in accordance with relevant international trade regulations. He also provides guidance on brokering requirements and reporting obligations for certain fees, commissions, and political contributions related to sales of defense articles and defense services, prepares export and reexport license and agreement applications for submission, undertakes commodity jurisdiction and export classification analyses of items and services under the ITAR and EAR, drafts registration material change notifications, and develops compliance policies, programs, and training materials.

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  • Posted in:
    Administrative and Regulatory
  • Blog:
    International Compliance Blog
  • Organization:
    Steptoe LLP

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