301 & Current Events

I screamed at the top of my lungs what’s going on! Check out our casual end-of-year chat about the latest in international trade! Our experts covered a variety of topics and answered audience questions. Watch the video to see what…

USTR: Effective January 2025 Section 301 Tariff Hikes on Chinese Tungsten, Solar Wafers, and Polysilicon

Office of the United States Trade Representative announced tariff increases under Section 301 for imports of tungsten products, wafers, and polysilicon from China. Solar wafers and polysilicon increases to 50% on January 1, 2025, and specified tungsten products increase to…

OFAC: CH Robinson Settles with OFAC for $257,690 Over Apparent Cuba and Iran Sanctions Violations

Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a settlement with CH Robinson for $257,690 which will resolve civil liability for 82 apparent violations. Five of their non-US subsidiaries provided freight brokerage or transportation services for shipments involving Cuba and Iran. They…

Justice: Freight Forwarder Indicted for Scheme to Evade Russian Sanctions

From December 2022 to December 2024, Mazulina allegedly conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia via intermediary countries, according to an indictment. In June…

Justice: Hang ‘Cody’ Sun Charged with Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Smuggling, and Arms Export Violations

Between January 2012 and December 2018, the defendant is alleged to have conspired to unlawfully export approximately 70 drawings containing export-controlled technical data to a company in China. This data, which required a license from the U.S. government under the…

BIS: Bureau of Industry and Security Imposes New Export Controls on High-Tech Items to Pakistan Over Diversion Concerns

Bureau of Industry and Security published a rule that imposes controls on exports, re-exports and transfers on six categories of items going to Pakistan in response to diversion concerns. Those categories are: particle accelerators some stainless / alloy pipes and…

Justice: Former Logistics CEO Pleads Guilty to Export Law Violations Conspired to Ship Goods to Blacklisted Chinese Companies

Justice the former CEO of an international logistics / freight forwarding company plead guilty to conspiring to violate export laws by shipping goods to CN companies on the Entity List. This man knew that the company in CN changed their…

OFAC: $1.1 Million Penalty on U.S. Citizen for 75 Egregious Iran Sanctions Violations Involving Hotel Project

Office of Foreign Assets Control implemented a $1.1 million penalty on an anonymous US person for 75 violations of Iran sanctions. Between 2019 and 2022, that person executed a plan to purchase, reno, and operate a hotel in Iran. They…

BIS: $5.4 Million Penalty and 3-Year Denial Order Imposed on M&M Wireless for Alleged EAR Violations and Recordkeeping Failures

Bureau of Industry and Security is initiating proceedings against M&M Wireless for violations of the EAR. The claim is that M&M Wireless falsified value and quantity on some exports and failed to comply with recordkeeping requirements. The company was subpoenaed…

Post-Entry

You got it in, now what? Your responsibilities aren’t over just because you got your goods across the border. We talk about the next steps you need to take to make sure you’re in compliance and ready for anything Customs…

Justice: Venezuelan Man Sentenced for Role in Scheme to Evade U.S. Sanctions on Oil Company

A Venezuelan man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for participating in a scheme to evade US sanctions on a sanctioned oil company. Read More

OFAC: Treasury Reaches Settlement with American Life Insurance

Treasury announced a settlement with American Life Insurance Company for 2,331 apparent violations of Iranian sanctions. There were insurance policies provided to UAE entities that were owned or controlled by the Iranian government. American Life self-disclosed the violations. Read More