Free Webinar
The BIS 50% Rule: What Exporters and Compliance Teams Need to Know
Get clarity on how the BIS 50% Affiliates Rule expands U.S. export restrictions and what you should do now to prepare for implementation later this year.
Wednesday, August 19, beginning at 1:00 pm EDT | 12:00 pm CDT | 11:00 am MDT | 10:00 am PDT
.jpg?width=191&height=200&name=Wardlaw%20Headshot%20(1).jpg)
Last year, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued the Affiliates Rule, commonly referred to as the 50% Rule, but postponed its implementation until November 2026 to give companies a better opportunity to comply. The rule extends Entity List and Military End-User (MEU) List export control restrictions, as well as export control restrictions that apply to certain U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals, to any entity that is at least 50% owned by listed parties. The new implementation date is coming fast, and exporters, freight forwarders and global trade professionals need to understand how to comply or face substantial penalties.
If your organization relies on end-use/end-user certificates (EUCs), exports through distributors or channel partners, or screens against the BIS lists using manual or incomplete tools, this rule could expose you to unexpected licensing obligations—or even violations.
Joining us for this free, one-hour session is Lindsay Bernsen Wardlaw, the founder of Wardlaw Trade Law, a boutique U.S. trade law practice in the Washington, D.C. area focused on providing practical export controls, sanctions, antiboycott and customs compliance advice to multinational companies. Lindsay will explain the rule, its practical implications and the immediate steps exporters should take to stay compliant. With real-world examples, this session will help you understand the new restrictions and avoid costly surprises.
Lindsay is also an adjunct law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches U.S. export control and sanctions law. At Wardlaw Trade Law, Lindsay counsels her clients on their day-to-day compliance questions and also represents them before key trade regulators, managing voluntary disclosures, investigations, licensing, classification, and transactional due diligence and helping them build business-friendly compliance programs that address their real-world operations. Formerly, she was the Vice President of Trade Advisory Services at Amalie Trade Compliance Consulting, and an attorney at Sidley Austin and at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. Lindsay holds a B.A. in International Political Economy with a minor in Political Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. She has a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law. She is also a Licensed Customs Broker.
What You’ll Learn
-
What the new BIS 50% rule does—and how it expands Entity List and MEU List restrictions.
-
How to identify affected affiliates, even if they aren’t explicitly listed.
-
Why EUCs, automated screening, and indirect sales channels are especially vulnerable.
-
Immediate steps to review your exposure and protect your company.
-
How to communicate these changes to distributors and partners—and invoke contractual safeguards.
Who Should Attend
-
Export compliance officers and trade professionals responsible for restricted party screening.
-
Legal counsel advising on U.S. export controls, sanctions, or due diligence.
-
Channel managers and international sales teams who rely on third-party distributors.
-
Companies navigating MEU-related restrictions.
-
Anyone exporting goods or technology subject to the EAR and concerned about new license triggers.
Sign up and join webinar attendees from companies like:
