Search
Contact
27.07.2018 | KPMG Law Insights

Foreign Trade Law & Export Control – The US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reactivation of the Blocking Statute by the EU – Implications for European Companies in Foreign Trade

The U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reactivation of the Blocking Statute by the EU – Implications for European Companies in Foreign Trade

On May 8, 2018, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that he would terminate U.S. participation in the nuclear agreement reached with Iran – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal and the expiration of a wind-down period, the financial and economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Iran are to be gradually reinstated. Within the wind-down periods, which are 90 and 180 days and end on August 6, 2018 and November 4, 2018, respectively, companies should wind down and terminate existing business relationships in Iran.

After the end of the first wind-down period on August 6, 2018, sanctions related to foreign exchange and commodity trading, as well as against the Iranian automotive industry, among others, will come back into force. Finally, after the expiration of the second wind-down period, i.e., on November 4, 2018, sanctions against the oil industry, the energy sector, and the financial and insurance industries will revive. For example, the U.S. is already pushing for a global import ban on Iranian oil and has announced it will not make exceptions for the European Union (EU).

Response by the EU

The U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has drawn criticism. The EU, as well as the other signatories of the agreement, have explicitly expressed their support for the preservation of the nuclear agreement with Iran and want to maintain their economic relations in Iran.

To save the nuclear deal, the EU Commission has initiated the formal procedure to reactivate the so-called Blocking Statute (Regulation (EC) No. 2271/96). This anti-boycott provision aims to prevent the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions. The Blocking Statute thereby criminalizes participation in the Iran sanctions imposed by the U.S. on companies, but at the same time provides for the possibility of applying for exemptions.

The law is scheduled to take effect before August 6, 2018, the end of the first wind-down period.

Implications for exporting companies

However, European companies operating internationally are thus faced with the dilemma that compliance with the European anti-boycott regulation simultaneously leads to a violation of U.S. embargo provisions. This is compounded by the fact that failure to comply with U.S. sanctions can lead to serious consequences and drastic fines for companies. In addition, past experience has shown that the U.S. administration also consistently takes action against embargo violations by foreign companies.

The Blocking Statute, on the other hand, has not yet been applied in the past. The dispute at the time over sanctions against Cuba, Iran and Libya was settled. In this respect, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop and how the EU, in the event of a violation of the anti-boycott regulation, will react.

Explore #more

29.08.2025 | In the media

Statement by Ulrich Keunecke on the special infrastructure fund in Politico

KPMG Law financial expert Ulrich Keunecke explains how the infrastructure special fund can be leveraged with capital from private investors. You can find the article…

25.08.2025 | Deal Notifications

KPMG Law is advising APELOS on the refinancing and acquisition of a practice group with around 50 practice locations.

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) and KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (KPMG) advised APELOS Therapie GmbH, a leading therapy practice group in Germany, on the refinancing…

15.08.2025 | In the media

KPMG Law Statement in Die-Stiftung.de on the topic of foundation registers – The long road to digital order

The entry into force of the foundation law reform on July 1, 2023 marks a turning point in the German foundation system. The list of…

14.08.2025 | KPMG Law Insights

Electromobility in logistics – legal challenges

In order to reduce its CO2 emissions, the logistics industry is increasingly turning to electromobility. This is not only due to ESG regulations such as…

07.08.2025 | KPMG Law Insights

NIS2: How energy suppliers must protect themselves against cyber attacks

In July 2025, the Military Counterintelligence Service reported a significant increase in spying attempts and disruptive measures by the Russian secret service, according to media…

06.08.2025 | KPMG Law Insights

Tax havens: When business relationships trigger criminal proceedings

A German tech company had been paying license fees to a contractual partner in Panama for years without ever having any problems. However, few people

06.08.2025 | Deal Notifications

KPMG Law, KPMG in Germany and KPMG in Switzerland advised Bureau Veritas on the acquisition of Dornier Hinneburg and its Swiss subsidiary Hinneburg Swiss

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) together with KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (KPMG) and KPMG AG Switzerland advised Bureau Veritas Group (Bureau Veritas) on the acquisition…

05.08.2025 | Deal Notifications

KPMG Law advises Athagoras Holding GmbH on the acquisition of IGES Group

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) provided legal advice to Athagoras Holding GmbH, a platform of the Munich-based PE firm Greenpeak Partners, on the acquisition…

05.08.2025 | In the media

Wirtschaftswoche honors KPMG Law as top law firm in public procurement law

The current ranking of the Handelsblatt Research Institute in cooperation with WirtschaftsWoche has selected the top law firms and top lawyers in the legal fields…

04.08.2025 | Deal Notifications

KPMG Law and KPMG AG advise NMP Germany on the acquisition of DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) has provided legal advice to NMP Germany GmbH (NMP) on the acquisition of DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH (DESMA). KPMG Law…

Contact

Dr. Konstantin von Busekist

Managing Partner
Head of Global Compliance Practice
KPMG Law EMA Leader

Tersteegenstraße 19-23
40474 Düsseldorf

Tel.: +49 211 4155597123
kvonbusekist@kpmg-law.com

Anne-Kathrin Gillig

Partner
Frankfurt am Main Site Manager
Head of Compliance and Business Criminal Law

THE SQUAIRE Am Flughafen
60549 Frankfurt am Main

Tel.: +49 69 951195013
agillig@kpmg-law.com

© 2024 KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, associated with KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, a public limited company under German law and a member of the global KPMG organisation of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a Private English Company Limited by Guarantee. All rights reserved. For more details on the structure of KPMG’s global organisation, please visit https://home.kpmg/governance.

 KPMG International does not provide services to clients. No member firm is authorised to bind or contract KPMG International or any other member firm to any third party, just as KPMG International is not authorised to bind or contract any other member firm.

Scroll