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Emily Mikes

Emily focuses on export controls, economic sanctions and related government investigations. She advises clients in a wide array of industries on the specifics of trade regulations, analyzing the effects of rules and restrictions on businesses as they import and export goods and materials.

President Trump Issues New Executive Order Waiving Certain Russia Sanctions Imposed Under Graham Act

On Friday, October 16, 2026, President Trump issued an Executive Order implementing the Graham Act, passed back in September 2026. The Order waived most of the sanctions, restrictions, and duties the statute would otherwise impose.

The Order implements the Graham Act…

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) published new procedures in the Federal Register for certain steel and aluminum producers to obtain tariff adjustments pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10984. Proclamation 10984 authorized the Secretary of Commerce to reduce certain Section 232 metals tariffs implemented under Proclamations 9704 and 9705, as amended, for certain steel and aluminum producers in Canada and Mexico.

On April 20, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“Customs”) announced the activation of Phase 1 of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (“CAPE”) for IEEPA tariff refunds. CAPE Phase 1 is limited only to certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation. For more information about CAPE as well as…

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued guidance on how importers need to report and classify goods subject to the revised steel, aluminum, and copper tariffs announced by the Trump Administration on April 2, 2026. We encourage importers to review the list of HTS number affected by the metal tariffs to ensure compliance with the below reporting requirements.

On March 31, 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued an advisory (the “Advisory”) regarding sham transactions and their use in evading US sanctions. OFAC described sham transactions as occurring when “blocked persons, often operating through proxies or other intermediaries, effectuate transfers or establish arrangements that conceal–rather than genuinely extinguish–a continuing interest in property.”

On April 24, 2024, President Biden signed into law the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, Pub. L. No. 118-50, div. D. Part of the Act included a provision extending the statute of limitations for civil and criminal violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) from five years to 10 years. The new statute of limitations took effect on the date of the President’s signature.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued new guidance to exporters intended to further assist BIS in its efforts to crack down on third-party diversion to Russia.

Specifically, BIS’s recent guidance outlines the various mechanisms it has employed—outside of its usual public screening lists (i.e., the Unverified List…

On June 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a Final Determination prohibiting the sale of certain cybersecurity products, anti-virus software, and related services to U.S. persons by Kaspersky Lab, Inc. (“Kaspersky”), the U.S. subsidiary of Russian cybersecurity provider AO Kaspersky Lab.

This Final Determination represents the first…

On July 10, 2024, the Biden Administration announced tariff increases on imports of aluminum  and steel products. The tariff increases are the latest measure to combat the circumvention of Section 301 duties imposed against Chinese origin products by shipping the products through third countries.

The modifications apply to goods entered or withdrawn for consumption…