Supplement No. 9 to Part 760 - Interpretation

Supplement No. 9 to Part 760 - Interpretation

Activities Exclusively Within a Boycotting Country - Furnishing Information

§ 760.3(h) of this part provides that a United States person who is a bona fide resident of a boycotting country may comply with the laws of that country with respect to his or her activities exclusively within the boycotting country. Among the types of conduct permitted by this exception is “furnishing information within the host country” § 760.3(h)(1)(v) of this part. For purposes of the discussion which follows, the Department is assuming that the person in question is a bona fide resident of the boycotting country as defined in § 760.3(g), and that the information to be provided is required by the laws or regulations of the boycotting country, as also defined in § 760.3(g) of this part. The only issue this interpretation addresses is under what circumstances the provision of information is “an activity exclusively within the boycotting country.”

The activity of “furnishing information” consists of two parts, the acquisition of the information and its subsequent transmittal. Under the terms of this exception, the information may not be acquired outside the country for the purpose of responding to the requirement for information imposed by the boycotting country. Thus, if an American company which is a bona fide resident of a boycotting country is required to provide information about its dealings with other U.S. firms, the company may not ask its parent corporation in the United States for that information, or make any other inquiry outside the boundaries of the boycotting country. The information must be provided to the boycotting country authorities based on information or knowledge available to the company and its personnel located within the boycotting country at the time the inquiry is received. See § 760.3, (h) of this part, examples (iii), (iv), and (v). Much of the information in the company's possession (transaction and corporate records) may have actually originated outside the boycotting country, and much of the information known to the employees may have been acquired outside the boycotting country. This will not cause the information to fall outside the coverage of this exception, if the information was sent to the boycotting country or acquired by the individuals in normal commercial context prior to and unrelated to a boycott inquiry or purpose. It should be noted that if prohibited information (about business relations with a boycotted country, for example) has been forwarded to the affiliate in the boycotting country in anticipation of a possible boycott inquiry from the boycotting country government, the Department will not regard this as information within the knowledge of the bona fide resident under the terms of the exception. However, if the bona fide resident possesses the information prior to receipt of a boycott-related inquiry and obtained it in a normal commercial context, the information can be provided pursuant to this exception notwithstanding the fact that, at some point, the information came into the boycotting country from the outside.

The second part of the analysis of “furnishing information” deals with the limitation on the transmittal of the information. It can only be provided within the boundaries of the boycotting country. The bona fide resident may only provide the information to the party that the boycotting country law requires (directly or through an agent or representative within the country) so long as that party is located within the boycotting country. This application of the exception is somewhat easier, since it is relatively simple to determine if the information is to be given to somebody within the country.

Note that in discussing what constitutes furnishing information “exclusively within” the boycotting country, the Department does not address the nature of the transaction or activity that the information relates to. It is the Department's position that the nature of the transaction, including the inception or completion of the transaction, is not material in analyzing the availability of this exception.

For example, if a shipment of goods imported into a boycotting country is held up at the time of entry, and information from the bona fide resident within that country is legally required to free those goods, the fact that the information may relate to a transaction that began outside the boycotting country is not material. The availability of the exception will be judged based on the activity of the bona fide resident within the country. If the resident provides that information of his or her own knowledge, and provides it to appropriate parties located exclusively within the country, the exception permits the information to be furnished.

Factual variations may raise questions about the application of this exception and the effect of this interpretation. In an effort to anticipate some of these, the Department has set forth below a number of questions and answers. They are incorporated as a part of this interpretation.

1. Q. Under this exception, can a company which is a U.S. person and a bona fide resident of the boycotting country provide information to the local boycott office?

A. Yes, if local law requires the company to provide this information to the boycott office and all the other requirements are met.

2. Q. If the company knows that the local boycott office will forward the information to the Central Boycott Office, may it still provide the information to the local boycott office?

A. Yes, if it is required by local law to furnish the information to the local boycott office and all the other requirements are met. The company has no control over what happens to the information after it is provided to the proper authorities. (There is obvious potential for evasion here, and the Department will examine such occurrences closely.)

3. Q. Can a U.S. person who is a bona fide resident of Syria furnish information to the Central Boycott Office in Damascus?

A. No, unless the law in Syria specifically requires information to be provided to the Central Boycott Office the exception will not apply. Syria has a local boycott office responsible for enforcing the boycott in that country.

4. Q. If a company which is a U.S. person and a bona fide resident of the boycotting country has an import shipment held up in customs of the boycotting country, and is required to provide information about the shipment to get it out of customs, may the company do so?

A. Yes, assuming all other requirements are met. The act of furnishing the information is the activity taking place exclusively within the boycotting country. The fact that the information is provided corollary to a transaction that originates or terminates outside the boycotting country is not material.

5. Q. If the U.S. person and bona fide resident of the boycotting country is shipping goods out of the boycotting country, and is required to certify to customs officials of the country at the time of export that the goods are not of Israeli origin, may he do so even though the certification relates to an export transaction?

A. Yes, assuming all other requirements are met. See number 4 above.

[61 FR 12862, Mar. 25, 1996, as amended at 65 FR 34950, June 1, 2000]