National Security and International Trade Update

Key developments at the intersection of security and commerce.

1
Welcome to Our New Blog
2
What Legal Services Providers Need to Learn From OFSI’s Legal Services Threat Assessment
3
Implications of New “Secondary Tariff” Executive Order Targeting Importers of Venezuelan Oil
4
European Union Adopts 16th Package of Sanctions Against Russia, Further Impacting the Aviation Industry
5
Trump Administration Directs CFIUS to Tighten Restrictions on Investment From Certain Countries While Easing National Security Reviews of Investments From Allies and Partners
6
EU Sanctions—Article 8a “Best Efforts” Explained
7
New Executive Order Bolsters the Nation’s Cyber Defenses
8
New US Sanctions Target Russia’s Energy Sector
9
Preparing for New Trump Tariffs: 10 Approaches
10
Final Rule on Outbound Investments: Implications for Limited Partner Investments
11
Trump Signals First-Day Tariff Hikes Targeting China, Canada, and Mexico

Welcome to Our New Blog

By: Steven F. Hill

Welcome to the K&L Gates National Security and International Trade Update, a product of our global international trade and national security practices.

We hope you will find this a valuable resource for the latest developments on policies and regulations arising from global national security and international trade considerations.

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What Legal Services Providers Need to Learn From OFSI’s Legal Services Threat Assessment

By: Michael Ruck, Rosie Naylor, and Laura Scott

In its first-ever threat assessment of the UK legal sector, the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has highlighted key findings surrounding suspected sanctions breaches involving UK legal services providers since February 2022 (the Assessment).

Why Did OFSI Focus on Legal Services Providers?

Legal services providers play a crucial role in ensuring UK and international clients (including UK Designated Persons (DPs)) comply with UK financial sanctions as well as other threats to compliance relevant to the United Kingdom.

OFSI’s Key Findings

The Assessment sets out four key findings relevant to the UK legal services providers from February 2022 to present.

  1. Underreporting of breaches
    OFSI found it was highly likely that UK trust and company service providers (TCSPs) may not fully disclose suspected breaches. OFSI found that only 16% of suspected breach reports originated from the legal services sector, with most submitted by law firms and barristers. Only 2% of these were submitted by TCSPs and other types of legal services providers.
  2. Compliance failures
    OFSI stated it was almost certain that most non-compliance by UK legal services providers has occurred due to the:
    • Improper maintenance of frozen assets.
      OFSI observed legal services providers failing to adhere to asset freeze prohibitions, including delays in freezing funds belonging to DP clients and transferring frozen funds into accounts other than those specified in OFSI licences.
    • Breaches of specific and general OFSI licence conditions.
      Specific compliance issues included billing DPs more than the value limits set in their licence or receiving payments after the licence has expired.
    • Reporting.
      OFSI encourages legal services providers to review licence reporting requirements, thereby ensuring compliance.
    • Wind-down of Russia related operations.
      OFSI stated that legal services providers must ensure that the winding down of operations in Russia were conducted in line with general and specific licence permissions and to report any suspected breaches which may have occurred as a result.
  3. Complex ownership and control structures
    OFSI considered it was almost certain that complex corporate structures, including trusts, linked to Russian DPs and their family members have concealed the ownership and control of assets which should have been frozen under UK financial sanctions.
  4. Post-designation ownership and control transfers
    OFSI considers it likely that Russian DPs have transferred the ownership and control of assets to related non-designated individuals and entities to circumvent UK sanctions.
Intermediary Countries

The Assessment highlighted a series of red flags for lawyers to look out for, especially when an “intermediary jurisdiction” was involved.

Practical Steps

Legal services providers should take the following steps, amongst others, to ensure compliance with the UK sanction regime:

  • Monitor and identify any red flags;
  • Update client due diligence going beyond basic ID checks to checking beneficial owners and connected parties;
  • Screen every transaction against OFSI’s consolidated list (see here);
  • Complete a tailored risk assessment; and
  • Identify and comply with applicable licence requirements.
Conclusion

OFSI encourages legal services providers to both report now and retrospectively (using this channel), where appropriate and proportionate, if they suspect a breach has occurred.

For further information, please see our corresponding alert.

Implications of New “Secondary Tariff” Executive Order Targeting Importers of Venezuelan Oil

By: Steven F. Hill, Guillermo S. Christensen, Jeff Orenstein, and Brian J. Hopkins

On 24 March 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order threatening to impose a 25% tariff on all goods imported into the United States from any country that imports Venezuelan oil directly or indirectly through third parties. Effective on or after 2 April 2025, the tariff is in response to alleged actions of Venezuela’s Maduro government, in particular sending members of the Tren de Aragua gang (designated a foreign terrorist organization) and other criminals into the United States and its involvement in kidnapping and violent attacks including the assassination of a Venezuelan opposition figure.

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Trump Administration Directs CFIUS to Tighten Restrictions on Investment From Certain Countries While Easing National Security Reviews of Investments From Allies and Partners

By: Guillermo S. Christensen, Steven F. Hill, Brian J. Hopkins, Dave R. Allman, Nate B. Bolin, and Jeffrey Orenstein

On 21 February 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued the America First Investment Policy, directing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to adjust its approach to foreign investments. This policy aims to facilitate investments from allied nations while imposing stricter reviews on investments from adversarial countries, particularly China.

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EU Sanctions—Article 8a “Best Efforts” Explained

By: Michael E. Ruck, Petr Bartoš, and Helen J. Phizackerley

On 24 June 2024, the European Union (EU) implemented its 14th package of sanctions against Russia to combat its continued aggression against Ukraine. A notable addition was made to Article 8a of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, which introduced the requirement that EU operators “undertake their best efforts to ensure that any legal person, entity or body established outside the Union that they own or control does not participate in activities that undermine the restrictive measures provided for in [the] Regulation.” A similar clause has also been included in the Belarus sanctions framework.

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New Executive Order Bolsters the Nation’s Cyber Defenses

By: Sheila Armstrong, Corey Bieber, Guillermo Christensen, Brian Hopkins, and J.D. Koesters

In a significant move to bolster the United States’ cybersecurity framework, President Biden issued an executive order (EO) on 16 January 2025 titled “Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity” days before leaving the White House. This comprehensive directive outlines measures designed to enhance the security of federal systems, improve transparency in third-party software supply chains, and leverage emerging technologies to fortify cyber defenses.

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New US Sanctions Target Russia’s Energy Sector

By: Nate Bolin, Jeffrey Orenstein, Myeong Park, and Brian Hopkins

On 10 January 2025, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a package of new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector. In an effort to curtail Russia’s oil revenue and ability to evade US sanctions, OFAC issued: (1) a Determination authorizing sanctions on parties operating in Russia’s energy sector; (2) a Determination banning US petroleum services to Russia; and (3) blocking sanctions against oil and gas majors, vessels in the so-called “shadow fleet,” certain traders of Russian oil, Russian maritime insurers, and Russian oilfield service providers.

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Final Rule on Outbound Investments: Implications for Limited Partner Investments

By: Steven F. Hill, Nathaniel B. Bolin, and Myeong S. Park

Introduction

On 28 October 2024, the US Treasury Department issued a Final Rule implementing the Outbound Investment Program (OIP) under Executive Order 14105, which safeguards US national security by limiting investments by US persons in key technologies in “countries of concern,” specifically China including Hong Kong and Macau. Effective 2 January 2025, the OIP targets outbound investments in Semiconductors and Microelectronics, Quantum Information Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence by prohibiting certain transactions and permitting other transactions subject to a notification requirement (together, “covered transactions”).

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Trump Signals First-Day Tariff Hikes Targeting China, Canada, and Mexico

By: Nate Bolin, Dave Allman, and Brian Hopkins

On 25 November, President-Elect Donald Trump announced plans to impose substantial tariffs on goods from China, Mexico, and Canada through executive action, signaling a return to his aggressive trade policies. If implemented, these measures could have significant implications for businesses reliant on international supply chains.

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