Monday, March 8, 2010

U.S. BIS Publishes Export Compliance Guidelines

(CIFFA eBulletin)

The Department of Commerce’s (Commerce) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has published on its website a document titled Compliance Guidelines: How to Develop an Effective Export Management Compliance Program and Manual. According to the document, the guidelines were developed in order to provide assistance with the establishment or enhancement of an Export Management and Compliance Program (EMCP). The guidelines aim to help companies develop both an operational and written EMCP in order to ensure that export decisions and transactions comply with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The guidelines cover nine “key elements” of an effective EMCP, which include (but are not limited to): Risk assessment, the written EMCP, Compliance training, Recordkeeping, Compliance auditing.

The full text of the guidelines can be accessed online here.