News & Updates

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will expand export restrictions on Russia pursuant to a March 2, 2021 determination by the Secretary of State that the Government of Russia has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals.

The Department of Commerce released the following statement:

WASHINGTON – On March 5, 2021, Jeremy Pelter, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of
the Under Secretary for Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, issued a final
order imposing a 15-year denial order against Alexander Brazhnikov, Jr. This penalty was recommended
by U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge Michael J. Devine based on a BIS and FBI investigation
into unlicensed exports of electronic components from the United States to Russia, including parties on
BIS’s Entity List.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has implemented new restrictions on exports and reexports to Burma, and transfers (in-country) within Burma, of sensitive items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) in response to the military coup and escalating violence against peaceful protesters. BIS has also added to the Entity List four entities - two Burmese military and security services entities responsible for the coup and two commercial entities that are owned and operated by one of those entities.

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is adding 14 entities located in Russia, Germany, and Switzerland to the Entity List based on their proliferation activities in support of Russia’s weapons of mass destruction programs and chemical weapons activities. This action supplements the addition of five Russian Government facilities to the Entity List in August 2020 for supporting Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs.

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented a series of restrictions on exports of sensitive items to Burma’s Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces, and security services in response to the Burmese military’s actions to overthrow the democratically elected civilian government of Burma.

Today, Kevin J. Kurland, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
announced an administrative settlement of $54,000 with Princeton University, located in Princeton, NJ.
Princeton University voluntarily self-disclosed potential violations of the Export Administration
Regulations (EAR) to BIS, and cooperated with the investigation that was conducted by the New York

            WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed this week charging Cheng Bo, also known as Joe Cheng, a 45-year-old national of the People’s Republic of China, with participating in a criminal conspiracy from 2012-2015 to violate U.S. export laws by shipping U.S. power amplifiers to China.

Today, Kevin J. Kurland, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
announced an Administrative Settlement of $3.2 million (partially suspended) with Singapore-based
Avnet Asia Pte. Ltd. (Avnet Asia), a global distributor of electronic components and related software. BIS
alleged that Avnet Asia employees illegally exported various electronic components, controlled under

On January 27, 2021, Kevin J. Kurland, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the
Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S.
Department of Commerce, announced an Administrative Settlement of $540,000 (partially suspended)
with Julian Demurjian of San Francisco, CA. BIS alleged that Mr. Demurjian and CIS Project, a
company that Demurjian owned and operated, caused, aided, or abetted seven violations of the Export

WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and
Security (BIS) has implemented the Secretary of State’s rescission of Sudan as a State Sponsor
of Terrorism (SSOT) by amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The
amendments, on public display in today’s Federal Register, remove Anti-Terrorism (AT)
controls and make other regulatory changes consistent with the rescission.