U.S. BIS eases export controls on Syria
Aligns with Executive Order 14312
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce today released a final rule revising export control measures for Syria under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This action aligns with Executive Order 14312, which directed the removal of sanctions on Syria.
The final rule relaxes the EAR’s existing restrictions on exports and reexports to Syria of items subject to the EAR by:
- Revising certain restrictive license application review policies that had applied to most items subject to the EAR to be more favorable
- Expanding existing license exceptions to apply to Syria
- Adding new license exceptions for Syria
As explained in a related BIS release, U.S.-origin goods, software, and technology that have purely civilian uses (i.e., those classified under BIS’s regulations as “EAR99”), as well as consumer communications devices and certain items related to civil aviation, can generally go to Syria without an export license. In addition, the rule facilitates the approval of licenses for exports to Syria related to telecommunications infrastructure, sanitation, power generation, and civil aviation.