Where Industry and Security Intersect
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For
Immediate Release: Oct 18, 2004 Contact - BIS Public Affairs 202-482-2721 |
The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that 3-G Mermet Corporation (3-G Mermet) of Cincinnati, Ohio, has agreed to pay a $17,500 civil penalty and implement an export management system to settle charges that it violated the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) in connection with an attempted export to Iran through France.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged that, on January 13, 2003, 3-G Mermet attempted to ship interior window shade fabric through its parent company, Mermet S.A. of France, to Iran without obtaining prior authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Department of the Treasury, as required by the Commerce Department’s EAR. BIS also charged that 3-G Mermet sold the interior window shade fabric with knowledge that its ultimate destination was Iran and that the required U.S. government authorization would not be obtained.
The United States maintains a comprehensive embargo on trade with Iran because of Iran’s support for international terrorism. Under the terms of the embargo, most exports to Iran are prohibited unless they are authorized in advance by OFAC. The export to Iran of items subject to the EAR and the OFAC regulations without OFAC approval is a violation of Commerce Department regulations and can lead to criminal penalties and administrative sanctions.
Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Julie L. Myers commended Special Agent Janette Sessa-Ward of BIS’s Washington Field Office for her efforts in this investigation.