BIS Affiliates Rule Roundtable: Compliance Challenges and Practical Solutions

Event description

Are you ready for the BIS Affiliates Rule? With the rule’s scheduled return in November 2026 quickly approaching, companies are actively working to put procedures into place to meet the heightened "Know Your Customer" requirements, but uncertainty remains about identifying and screening ownership structures and the extent of due diligence required to achieve compliance.

Modeled after OFAC’s 50% Rule, BIS’ Affiliates Rule substantially expands U.S. export control obligations by extending Entity List, Military End User (MEU) List, and certain SDN List restrictions to unlisted foreign entities that are owned 50% or more—directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate—by one or more listed parties. The rule’s implications are far-reaching and raise complex operational questions for compliance professionals endeavoring to develop practices to address its requirements. 

Join us for an interactive roundtable discussion on the BIS Affiliates Rule and the significant compliance challenges companies are facing as they prepare for the rule’s return in November. The roundtable will give participants the opportunity to "compare notes" on practical approaches for complying with this rule. Topics of conversation will include screening methodologies and third-party screening solutions, contractual protections, due diligence expectations, escalation procedures, determining when applying for an export license is the best option, and more!

The program will be conducted in a Zoom Meeting format to encourage interaction and discussion among attendees. There will be no formal presentations or PowerPoints — just a practical, give-and-take discussion among trade compliance professionals who are navigating many of the same uncertainties and implementation challenges. So, bring your questions, concerns, and best practices, and join us for what we hope will be a timely and productive discussion on preparing for the Affiliates Rule to come back into force.   

Our speakers will be:

• J. Tyler Black, Partner – Thompson Coburn LLP
• Julia Komarovskaya, Director, Global Trade Compliance – The MathWorks, Inc.  

Date: Friday, July 10, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Online
Cost: $25 / no charge for Compliance Alliance members
Contact: Massachusetts Export Center at training@massexport.org or 617-973-6610