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Saudi Arabia

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On 4 May 2021, the European Commission announced that as part of its enforcement of international trade rules, the Commission services have concluded two examinations under the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR): one concerning Saudi Arabia´s measures restricting market access to EU ceramic tiles, and one concerning Mexico’s measure affecting Tequila exports to the EU. The Trade Barriers Regulation is part of the Commission enforcement efforts in the area of international trade rules. The Trade…

On April 8, 2021, the US Treasury Department published an updated List of Countries Requiring Cooperation With An International Boycott (the “Treasury List”). Significantly, Treasury announced that it had removed the UAE from the Treasury List following the UAE’s repeal of its law requiring participation with the Arab League Boycott of Israel and subsequent implementation of the new policy. In connection with its establishment of full diplomatic ties with Israel last year under the UAE-Israel Abraham Accords,…

As reported in our previous client update, on 5 January 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, along with Egypt, signed the “Al-Ula Declaration” at the 41st GCC Summit held in the city of Al-Ula. This marks the end of a three and a half year boycott against the State of Qatar, which was put in place in June…

          January 2021         GCC and Egypt sign the “Al-Ula Declaration”, ending the Qatar boycott                  On 5 January 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, along with Egypt, signed the “Al-Ula Declaration” at the 41st GCC Summit held in the city of Al-Ula, paving the way…

On October 13, 2020, the Treasury Department published in the Federal Register a current list of countries which require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott (within the meaning of section 999(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986). On the basis of the best information currently available to the Department of the Treasury, the following countries require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott: Iraq, Kuwait,…

On 15 July 2020, the U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”)-led Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (“TFTC”) designated six targets affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (“ISIS”), including an entity allegedly posing as a charity (and its director) based in Afghanistan that allegedly provided support to ISIS’ branch in that country, ISIS-Khorasan (“ISIS-K”). The entities that were designated are: Al Haram ExchangeTawasul CompanyAl-Khalidi ExchangeNejaat Social Welfare Organization Five of these targets (which includes…

On 7 July 2020 the Secretary of State for International Trade informed Parliament in a written statement that she has retaken her decisions regarding licences for military exports to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen, in accordance with the Judgment of the Court of Appeal of 20 June 2019. The Court of Appeal last year ruled that the government had erred in law in its decision-making processes on arms export licences to Saudi…

On Monday 6 July 2020, the UK introduced the first sanctions under its new Global Human Rights sanctions regime, targeting 47 individuals and 2 entities. The regulations setting out the sanctions are made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the “Sanctions Act“) and impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities responsible for or involved in serious violations of human rights. The Sanctions Act was introduced to allow the UK to…

On November 13, 2019, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket No. 191105-0076] that amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding twenty-two entities, under a total of thirty-two entries, to the Entity List. These twenty-two entities have been determined by the US Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. These entities will be listed on…

On October 10, 2019, the Department of the Treasury published in the Federal Register a current list of countries which require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott (within the meaning of section 999(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986). On the basis of the best information currently available to Treasury, the following countries require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott: Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,…