Export Controls - Government Contracts
The United States maintains a complex system of controls over the export of US goods and technology. The State Department — in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation ("ITAR") — controls the export of any item, technology or service that it places on the US Munitions List.
The Department of Energy has authority over nuclear related items. The Department of Treasury — through the Office of Foreign Asset Control ("OFAC") — implements and administers sanctions and embargoes against specific countries such as Cuba, Iran, Iraq, and Yugoslavia.
Finally, the Department of Commerce — in the Export Administration Regulation — has licensing authority over so-called "dual use" items, but these regulations potentially reach virtually any product or service that is to be exported (or re-exported from a foreign location).
Experience and Expertise. Our expertise and experience extends across these various regulatory schemes. Just as importantly, we have experience with many of the industries most affected by these regulations:
Counseling, Investigations and Litigation. We have counseled clients in these and other industries from literally on-the-spot questions to full scale compliance reviews to litigation of administrative penalty cases. A short sample of some recent representations include:
- Defended a major US aerospace company against State Department administrative charges arising from the alleged unauthorized transfer of technical data and performance of defense services in connection with satellite launch in China
- Counseled foreign manufacturer on reach of OFAC regulations in controlling domestic subsidiary's technology needed if foreign affiliate were to obtain contract with Iran; Counseled a telecommunications company on deemed export that would occur in using foreign national employees in work involving controlled technologies
- Investigated potential violations, identified corrective actions and prepared comprehensive voluntary disclosure to Commerce for manufacturer of dual use aerospace product