Earlier this month several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, severed diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar. This is an important issue for the shipping industry to monitor. In our recent client alert we explained the position to date and looked at what shipping companies trading Qatar need to consider … Continue Reading
Today the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) further eased sanctions against Cuba with a host of new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Of special interest to the shipping industry is the issuance of … Continue Reading
On 24 November 2013, the E3/EU+3 (or the P5+1, comprising the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany), together with Iran, agreed the Joint Plan of Action (“JPOA”), which relaxed some of the sanctions imposed against Iran by the EU and the United States. The JPOA was intended to provide interim sanctions … Continue Reading
On 24 November 2013, the P5+1 countries (comprising the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany) together with Iran, agreed the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), which relaxed some of the sanctions imposed against Iran by the EU and U.S. The JPOA was intended to provide interim sanctions relief, while the parties worked … Continue Reading
On April 2, 2014, the P5+1 (the United States, Germany, France, the UK, Russia, and China) and Iran reached an agreed-upon framework outlining the roadmap for a future agreement surrounding Iran’s nuclear program that would include suspension of U.S. and EU nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran. For further details, please see the recent Reed Smith … Continue Reading
Since March 2014, Reed Smith has been closely monitoring developments relating to the situation in the Ukraine and reporting them as Client Alerts and blog updates. For a brief summary of the EU’s decision of 20 March 2015 to effectively leave in place the sanctions imposed last year against Russia, please see the recent Client Alert by … Continue Reading
In late December 2014, both the U.S. and EU extended the sanctions regimes in place against Russia, imposed as a result of its actions in Ukraine. For details of these latest measures, please see the recent Reed Smith Client Alert by Leigh Hansson, Michael Lowell, Sian Fellows, David Myers, Hena Schommer, Alexandra Allan, Alexandra Gordon … Continue Reading
On 5 December 2014, the European Commission published Regulation 1290/2014 (the Amending Regulation). This further amends Regulation 833/2014, which imposed sanctions against Russia in view of its actions in Ukraine. Several of the amendments appear to be aimed at clarifying the scope and application of the sanctions. Although not explicitly stated, this may be a … Continue Reading
Over the past six months, the United States and the European Union have coordinated efforts through sanctions and trade controls to respond to Russian activity in Crimea and Ukraine. There has been a long series of incremental changes to the sanctions and trade controls by the respective government authorities. For a summary of the state of US and … Continue Reading
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”) that may benefit Russia’s energy sector. For further details, please see the recent post on Reed … Continue Reading
July continued to be a busy time as the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament), the EU and the United States intensified their responses to the situation in the Crimea and the escalating situation in eastern Ukraine. The measures are becoming increasingly complex. They have, in addition, been developing rapidly and this trend may well continue. … Continue Reading
In January 2014, both the EU and U.S. brought into force measures which temporarily suspended and relaxed (for a period of six months, to end on 20 July 2014) some of the sanctions in place against Iran. This reflected the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA) agreed between the E3+3 and Iran in November 2013. Those … Continue Reading
As a result of the ongoing Crimea conflict, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) has issued new sanctions targeting Russian banks and energy companies. For further details, please see the recent post on Reed Smith’s Global Regulatory Enforcement Law Blog by Leigh Hansson and Hena Schommer.… Continue Reading
Since March 2014, we have been closely monitoring the developments relating to the situation in the Ukraine and reporting them as Client Alerts and blog updates. For a summary of the recent changes in respect of the Ukraine as well as an update on the position regarding the “Joint Plan of Action” in respect of Iran, … Continue Reading
The European Union has made further additions to the list of sanctioned parties under the regime put in place in response to the Russian Federation’s actions in the Crimea. For further details, please see the recent post on Reed Smith’s Global Regulatory Enforcement Law Blog by David Myers, Sian Fellows, Alexandra Allan and Alexandra Gordon.… Continue Reading
In response to the Russian Federation’s continued actions in southern and eastern Ukraine, both the United States and European Union have added further names to the lists of parties who are subject to sanctions. The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has also announced the addition of thirteen companies to the … Continue Reading
The Russian Federation and the United States continue to clash over the proposed annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, with the United States adding 20 Russian officials and related persons to its list of sanctioned persons. Some of the persons recently added to the United States’ SDN List were recently sanctioned by the EU, as we … Continue Reading
Tensions continue to mount between the Russian and Ukrainian governments in the wake of a controversial referendum that threatens to expand the borders of the Russian Federation. The results of that Crimean plebiscite show that an estimated 97 percent of voters favor the Russian annexation of Crimea, but the peninsula’s ethnic Tartars boycotted the referendum. … Continue Reading
As reported in our Client Alert of December 2013, the “Joint Plan of Action” reached between the United Kingdom (“UK”), the United States (“U.S.”), Germany, France, Russia and China (collectively known as the “E3+3”) and Iran in November 2013 envisaged a two-step process in relation to relief from international trade sanctions against Iran. On 12 … Continue Reading
As reported in our client alert in December 2013, the “Joint Plan of Action” reached between the E3+3 and Iran in November 2013 envisaged a two-step process in relation to relief from international trade sanctions. On 12 January 2014, it was announced that the interim deal (of six months of initial measures) between the E3+3 … Continue Reading
On 24 November 2013, a joint commission of the United Kingdom (“UK”), the United States, Germany, France, Russia and China (collectively known as the “P5+1”, “E3/EU+3” or “E3+3”) reached agreement on a “Joint Plan of Action” with Iran, whereby Iran will comply with restrictions to its nuclear programme in return for limited relief from international … Continue Reading
In Bank Mellat v HM Treasury [2013] UKSC 39, the Appellant (an Iranian bank with UK subsidiaries) appealed against a decision upholding measures taken by the Treasury to restrict its access to the UK financial market. The Treasury had directed, under the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, that all persons operating in the UK financial sector were … Continue Reading
BIMCO has published a precedent clause designed to address some concerns about sanctions. Most major sanctions regimes, including those of the US and EU, include lists of designated parties with whom it is effectively prohibited to do business. Under the EU regime, for example, all assets of designated parties must be frozen and it is … Continue Reading
The Council of the European Union has published Regulation 401/2013 which repealed Regulation 194/2008. The 2013 Regulation came into force on 3 May 2013, and lifts all asset freezing measures and financial sanctions in place against Myanmar/Burma. All national legislation containing penalties for breaches of the asset freezing measures and financial sanctions are revoked. This … Continue Reading
