Export Controls and Sanctions Program

William Ploog Associate Director OSP * With credit to Erica Kropp, University of Maryland March 2007

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OSP Routing Form Questions

    (1) Has the topic of export controls come up in any form in connection with this proposal? (2) Will your project require collaboration with any foreign organization? (3) Will your project involve the shipment of materials, equipment or software outside of the US? (4) Will your project require the use of another party’s proprietary information or materials? 2

What are Export Controls?

US laws that regulate the distribution to foreign nationals and foreign countries of strategically important products, services and information for reasons of foreign policy and national security. 3

US Export Controls and Responsible Agencies

 State Department: Inherently military technologies--International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) http://www.pmdtc.org/itar_index.htm

 Commerce Department: http://www.bis.doc.gov/ “Dual-Use” technologies (primary civil use) -- Export Administration Regulations (EAR)  Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC): Prohibits transactions with countries subject to boycotts, trade sanctions, embargoes http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/index.shtml

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Implications of Export Laws

  Vast majority of university research is not effected But potential impact on    Ability of foreign students to participate in research involving a controlled technology (mostly under ITAR) Ability to provide services (including training in the use of controlled equipment) to foreign nationals (ITAR, EAR, OFAC) Ability to send controlled equipment to foreign countries (ITAR, EAR, and OFAC) 5

Dissemination of Information

 Laws prohibit the disclosure without a license from Commerce or State of controlled technical information by any method to a foreign national in the U.S. or abroad.

 Methods of disclosure include  Fax       Telephone discussions E-mail communications Computer data disclosure Face-to-face discussions Training sessions Tours which involve visual inspection 6

License Requirement for Dissemination of Information Does Not Apply If …  Public Domain (ITAR, EAR) 22 CFR Ch.1 § 120.11

http://www.pmdtc.org/docs/ITAR/2005/22cfr120_Part_120.pdf

15 CFR Ch. 7 § 734.3 (b)(3) http://www.access.gpo.gov/bis/ear/pdf/734.pdf

 Education Exclusion (ITAR, EAR) 22 CFR Ch.1 § 120.10(a)(5) http://www.pmdtc.org/docs/ITAR/2005/22cfr120_Part_120.pdf

15 CFR Ch.7 § 734.9 http://www.access.gpo.gov/bis/ear/pdf/734.pdf

 Fundamental Research Exclusion (ITAR, EAR) 22 CFR Ch.1 § 120.11(a)(8) http://www.pmdtc.org/docs/ITAR/2005/22cfr120_Part_120.pdf

15 CFR Ch. 7 § 734.8 http://www.access.gpo.gov/bis/ear/pdf/734.pdf

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Education Exclusion

 No license is required to share with foreign nationals “information concerning general scientific, mathematical or engineering principles commonly taught in universities or information in the public domain” 8

Fundamental Research Exclusion

 No license is required to disclose to foreign nationals information which is “published

and

which is generally accessible or available to the public [through, for example] fundamental research in science and engineering at universities where the resulting information is

ordinarily published and shared broadly in the scientific community

.

” 9

Fundamental Research Exclusion…

..is destroyed if the University accepts any contract clause that:

 Forbids the participation of foreign nationals;  Gives the sponsor a right to

approve

publications resulting from the research; or  Otherwise operates to restrict participation in research and/or access to and disclosure of research results 10

Fundamental Research Exclusion Violation

“Side deals” between a PI and Sponsor destroy the Fundamental Research Exclusion.

Example: Agree to exclude foreign national students in research.

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Institutional Strategy

Protect the fundamental research exclusion by eliminating grant or contractual clauses that destroy our ability to claim the exclusion.

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Providing Services to Foreign Nationals

 ITAR and EAR prohibit assisting & training foreign nationals anywhere in the design, development, use, testing, etc. of controlled equipment without a license from Commerce or State  Example: Fermenters having a capacity of at least 20 liters.

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Providing Services Under OFAC

 U.S. Treasury ’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) prohibits the provision of services to countries subject to US sanction programs, boycotts, etc. without a license  Providing services include:  Conducting surveys and interviews in boycotted countries  Providing marketing & business services to persons in boycotted countries 14

Providing Services Under OFAC (cont’d)

 Creating new information materials at the behest of persons in a boycotted country  Engaging the services of persons in a boycotted country to develop new information materials 15

Countries under Boycotts

Include, but not limited to: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Liberia, Sudan, Syria, North Korea For full, up to date listing, visit OFAC website: http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/index.shtml

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Equipment Use Exclusions?

There are no express exclusions that allow foreign persons to use controlled equipment or software without a license. Most universities nonetheless rely on  The fundamental research exclusion on the ground that using equipment is part and parcel of conducting fundamental research and/or  The education exclusion when the program of instruction requires using equipment.

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Equipment Use Exclusions?

However, there are no exclusions that allow foreign persons to use controlled equipment which requires the access to company/manufacturer proprietary manual or instructions for the use.

Should be treated as using another parties export controlled material.

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Requirement of a license to ship controlled equipment out of US

 A license is required to ship equipment controlled by Department of State to any foreign country.

 There are few exclusions or exceptions.

 It can take months to obtain a license from State.

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Shipping Equipment (cont ’d)

   A license may be required to ship equipment out of the US under the EAR depending on whether the equipment is controlled, where it is being sent and whether an exception applies.

NOTE: A license may be required to ship software out of the US!

The process to classify equipment under the EAR is very tedious, detailed and time consuming. 20

Shipping Equipment (cont ’d)

There is a presumption under OFAC laws that any and all shipments of equipment and provision of services to countries subject to US sanctions/boycotts or persons in those countries are ILLEGAL .

 Balkans, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Liberia, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe 21

Laptop Exception



Excluding embargoed countries

, faculty who wish to take their laptops out of the country to use in a university project that qualifies as fundamental research may be able to do so under the license exception for temporary export (TMP) if the laptop

meets the requirement

for "tools of trade" and

is under control of the faculty member

(EAR: 15 CFR Part 740.9).

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Accepting Export Controlled Information from Others

 Need a Non-Disclosure Agreement  To be marked Export Controlled  May be received by University employee who is a U.S. citizen if:  Information is ancillary to and not actually required for project  The right to publish remains unrestricted 23

Administrative Penalties

 Termination of export privileges (EAR and ITAR)  Suspension and/or debarment from government contracting (EAR and ITAR)  Voluntary disclosure of violations serves as a “mitigating factor” in deciding penalties 24

Penalties for EAR Violations

 Criminal Violations  Up to $1 million for the University or company  Up to $250K per violation for

individuals

and/or up to 10 years in prison  Civil Penalties  Up to $12k per violation for individuals and the University/corporations 25

Penalties for ITAR Violations

 Criminal Violations  Up to $1 million for the University or company  Up to $1 million per violation for

individuals

and/or up to 10 years in prison  Civil Penalties  Up to $500k per violation for

individuals

and the University or company 26

Penalties for OFAC Violations

  Criminal Violations  Fine of no more than $1 million for companies  Fine of no more than $100k for

individuals

(including corporate officers) and/or 10 years imprisonment Civil Penalties  Fines up to $55k for each violation by any person 27

Proposal Stage Red Flag Items

   Does the Project involve:  Shipping equipment to a foreign country?

  Collaborating with foreign colleagues in foreign countries?

Training foreign nationals in using equipment?

 Working with a country subject to a US boycott?

Is the RFP marked “Export Controlled”?

Is the sponsor demanding pre-approval rights over publications or the participation of foreign national students?

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If you answer yes …

 A determination must be made as to possible license requirements.

 If license is needed it takes

much time and effort of faculty

and can be months in process.

 These laws apply to

all activities

sponsored projects – not just 29

Remember



KEEP IT EXEMPT!

 No restricted clauses for publication  No side deals 

Additional Export Control Information & Resources:

NCURA Compliance Neighborhood Export Control Resources http://www.ncura.edu/member/neighborhoods/compliance/export.asp

University of Maryland http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/ecg/ University of Oklahoma http://research.ou.edu/policy/ExportControlsResource.htm

Oklahoma State University http://www.research.okstate.edu/export.htm

Massachusetts Institute of Technology http://web.mit.edu/osp/www/resources_export.htm

Defense Technical Information Center http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/stinfo/exportcontrol.html

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