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• U.S. Government Issues New Russia-related Sanctions Designations and Export Controls Guidance

  On September 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced new sanctions designations and export control guidance related to Russia.  These developments are the latest updates in the U.S. government’s ever-evolving response to...

• FinCEN Analysis Reveals Patterns and Trends in Suspected Evasion of Russia-Related Export Controls

  Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a joint alert and a supplemental alert (the “Joint Alerts”) urging U.S. financial institutions (“FIs”) to be attentive to attempts by Russia to evade U.S. sanctions and export controls. The Joint...

• U.S. and EU Regulators Provide Insights on Sanctions and Export Evasion Risks

  On September 11, 2023, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Financial Trend Analysis detailing trends in suspected evasion of export controls on Russia. FinCEN’s analysis is informed by reports provided by financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), such as Suspicious Transaction Reports. The information is helpful for identifying particular industries and countries...

• FCA publishes findings from its assessments of firms’ sanctions systems and controls

  On 6 September 2023, the FCA published a new webpage – Sanctions systems and controls: firms’ response to increased sanctions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new webpage sets out key findings from the FCA’s assessments of sanctions systems and controls in financial services firms. It includes examples of good practice and areas for...

• Suspension of Rights of Foreign Shareholders and Grant of Pre-emptive Rights to the State to Acquire Russian Assets of Foreign Companies Exiting Russia

  Russian legislative and executive branches have passed new acts further restricting the rights of foreign shareholders of Russian businesses. First, on July 24, 2023 it was announced that President Putin continued to work on the draft of the Decree that would provide the state with the preemptive right to acquire Russian assets of foreign companies...

• For the USPTO, Russia Is No Longer a Stop on the PPH

  In March 2022, the USPTO issued a statement terminating relations with the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (“Rospatent”) and with the Eurasian Patent Organization.[1] The USPTO also terminated relations with the National Intellectual Property Office of Belarus.  Read more

• Tri-Seal Compliance Note on Voluntary Self-Disclosure Released by Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Treasury

  On July 26, the Department of Commerce, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Justice released a Tri-Seal Compliance Note (July Note) providing guidance on voluntary self-disclosure of potential violations of U.S. sanctions, export controls, and other national security laws. This is the second enforcement-related release issued jointly by these three agencies, which, in March...

• Tri-Seal Compliance Note on Voluntary Self-Disclosure Released by Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Treasury

  On July 26, the Department of Commerce, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Justice released a Tri-Seal Compliance Note (July Note) providing guidance on voluntary self-disclosure of potential violations of U.S. sanctions, export controls, and other national security laws. This is the second enforcement-related release issued jointly by these three agencies, which, in March...

• Tri-Seal Compliance Note on Voluntary Self-Disclosure Released by Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Treasury

  On July 26,the Department of Commerce, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Justice released a Tri-Seal Compliance Note (July Note) providing guidance on voluntary self-disclosure of potential violations of U.S. sanctions, export controls, and other national security laws. This is the second enforcement-related release issued jointly by these three agencies, which, in March 2023,...

• Nationalization of Russian Assets of Investors From Unfriendly States Continues

  On May 9, 2023, we wrote about Decree of the President of Russia No. 302 that created a framework for nationalization of Russian assets belonging to persons from “unfriendly” states (the “Decree”). At that time the only assets to which nationalization applied were the shares in strategic energy companies Unipro, controlled by the Government of...

Featured documents

• Found: Russian Legal Blog

  Who said there are no Russian legal blogs? Here’s one: Russian Patents Blog. This appears to be the blog of a company providing patent and trademark registration and search services in Russia....

• Replacing Our Dependence on Foreign Oil with Natural Gas?

  An article from U.S. News and World Report argues that we need to be careful to avoid simply replacing our dependence on foreign oil with a dependence on foreign natural gas.  This is particularly true where major foreign producers might be tempted to use that dependence as a political weapon, like ...

• Russian Courts to Begin Posting Rulings Online

  When I traveled to Russia in 2007 and met with court officials there, some courts were experimenting with posting their decisions on the Web. Beginning this week, what was formerly the exception will become the rule, as most Russian court rulings will be published online in their entirety, The...

• Two Separate Article 78 Petitions Filed to Overturn a Special-Use-Permit Ruling in Russia, NY

  Both parties have started separate legal proceedings to have the Town Land Use Board of Appeal decision thrown out. The Land Use Board of Appeals determined which ruled that the “addition of an asphalt batch plant to a nonconforming quarry is an expansion of mining and requires a special use permit ...

• Russia Raising Pressures Against Smoking

  Tobacco smoking creates enormous amounts of disease and expense. The ACS and others estimate the annual global cost at $ 1.5 trillion – that’s annually. So, Russia is now planning a series of actions to reduce smoking, including tax increases and banning smoking in various public places. One...

• Escalating Trade Dispute, Russia Bans Turkey Over Ractopamine Residues

  Russia will ban U.S. turkey products over concerns about the controversial animal drug ractopamine, the country’s Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) announced this week. The news comes a few days after Russia announced it will block U.S. beef and pork as of Feb. 11 due to a...

• Sutherland SALT Shaker: November 2013 Digest

  Click here to read our November 2013 posts on stateandlocaltax.com or read each article by clicking on the title. You may also view a printable PDF here. Alaska Supreme Court Can’t See Russia, But Does See Unitary BusinessThe Alaska Supreme Court held that a petroleum company and its subsidiaries...

• Virus Scare Causes Russia to Suspend U.S. Pig Imports

  Concerned over the spread of of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) in U.S. pig populations, Russia announced last week it was suspending U.S. imports of live pigs effective May 30, Reuters reports. The disease has already killed roughly 10 percent of the U.S. pig population and is reportedly...

• U.S. Expands Export Restrictions Targeting Russia’s Oil and Gas Production

  Effective August 6, 2014, the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued new regulations, identified as the “Russian Industry Sector Sanctions,” restricting exports and other transfers of certain items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”...

• Another Round of Export Restrictions on Russia

  The ever-evolving sanctions targeting Russia in response to the crisis in Ukraine just became more complicated, as the Commerce Department issued a new set of export restrictions aimed at further limiting U.S. trade with Russia’s defense and energy sectors. Defense Sector Sanctions Commerce added...