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ARTICLE · 11 SEPTEMBER 2025

Keeping An EAR Out For Syria: BIS Reduces Export Controls

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The pace of U.S. regulatory changes regarding Syria continues to increase. Building on our previous posts ("Syria-ous Changes for Middle East Business?"...

GlobalInternational Law
Reid Whitten
Reid Whitten
Julien Blanquart
Julien Blanquart
Marta Piñol Lindin
Marta Piñol Lindin
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The pace of U.S. regulatory changes regarding Syria continues to increase. Building on our previous posts ("Syria-ous Changes for Middle East Business?" and "Unpacking the U-Turn: What the Syria Sanctions Repeal Really Means"), we describe below the recent developments that have resulted in significant easing of export controls.

Easing Export Controls: The BIS Rule

On August 28, 2025, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a final rule, effective September 2, 2025, that substantially reduces EAR restrictions on exports and reexports to Syria.

A new license exception. Most notably, BIS created the new License Exception Syria Peace and Prosperity (SPP), authorizing the export and reexport of all EAR99 items to Syria. However, even when exporters make use of License Exception SPP, their exports will still be subject to EAR end-use and end-user restrictions, including prohibitions on transactions involving parties listed on OFAC's SDN List, BIS's

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