BIS Waives Export Restrictions to Syria
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) waived certain export and reexport sanctions to Syria on July 22 in a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). BIS will now review licenses on a case-by-case basis for items that counter destabilization and support a political transition in Syria, prospects BIS says are important for U.S. national security. Those items include commodities, software, and technology involved with water supply and sanitation, agricultural production and food processing, power generation, oil and gas production, construction and engineering, transportation, and educational infrastructure, among other things.
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The Secretary of State published the waiver in June. The export restrictions are part of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, a law that condemned Syria for its military presence in Lebanon and support of terrorism. BIS welcomes public comments on the rule and will review them on a continuing basis.