Houston Freight Forwarder Settles Allegation Of Antiboycott Violation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) today announced that Plane Cargo Inc. (PCI), a freight forwarder located in Houston, TX, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $ 5,200 to settle one allegation that it violated the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). 

BIS, through its Office of Antiboycott Compliance, alleged that on one occasion in 2003, PCI, in connection with a transaction involving the sale and transfer of goods from the United States to Syria, furnished an invoice to a company in Syria that certified that the goods were not of Israeli origin in violation of the antiboycott provisions of the EAR. PCI cooperated fully with the investigation. 

BACKGROUND
The antiboycott provisions of the EAR prohibit U.S. persons from taking certain actions with the intent to comply with, further, or support unsanctioned foreign boycotts, including furnishing information about business relationships with or in a boycotted country or with blacklisted persons.  In addition, the EAR requires that persons report their receipt of certain boycott requests to the Department of Commerce.  For more information, please visit BIS’s Online Training Room at http://www.bis.doc.gov/seminarsandtraining/seminar-training.htm or contact the OAC Advice Line at (202) 482-2381.

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