BIS Removes Cambodia From EAR Arms Embargoed Country Group
The Bureau of Industry and Security is officially removing Cambodia from the Export Administration Regulations’ list of countries subject to an arms embargo, about two months after the State Department made a similar change.
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A final rule released by BIS Feb. 3 and effective the same day removed Cambodia from the EAR’s Country Group D:5 category, which includes more than 20 nations subject to strict export licensing requirements because of their embargoed status. BIS pointed to the White House’s announcement in October that said Cambodia is pursuing “peace and security” and should no longer face the arms trade restrictions.
The BIS rule said Cambodia was "effectively" removed from Country Group D:5 after the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls in November took it off the list of arms-embargoed nations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see 2510270017 and 2511060016). That’s because the EAR states that if there are “any discrepancies” between the list of countries in Country Group D:5 and those identified by State as subject to a U.S. arms embargo, the latter “list shall be controlling.” BIS said that essentially, “no such restrictions” have applied to Cambodia since November.
“In order to avoid confusion on the part of exporters, reexporters, and transferors over differences between the list of countries subject to an arms embargo in both regulations, this final rule deletes” Cambodia’s designation in Country Group D:5, BIS said. Cambodia will remain designated in Country Group D:1 -- which are nations subject to national security-related controls -- and still will face restrictions related to military and military-intelligence end uses and end users listed in sections 744.21 and 744.22 of the EAR.