The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has updated its “Don’t Let This Happen To You” guidance for exporters. The update includes new case summaries of violations involving export controls against China, Russia, Iran, and other countries.
BIS explains that they’ve made these changes for two reasons, “first, we want to make sure we are doing everything in our power to safeguard American technology and ingenuity in order to help protect our national security. While we are always prepared to enforce against those who break our rules, our strong preference is for companies to invest in compliance upfront. That way, the national security harm that results when our rules are broken can be avoided.
And, second, we want to ensure a level playing field for industry. If those who break our rules are not held to account, it is unfair to the vast majority of companies that abide by them. By enforcing consistently and aggressively, we hope both to protect our national security by deterring violations and to incentivize companies to invest in compliance.”
If you have questions about export controls or need assistance developing an export compliance manual, reach out to Mohawk Global Trade Advisors.