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Antiboycott

Export Controls

Compliance Manager

Admin

What are the U.S. antiboycott rules?

U.S. rules in EAR Part 760 that restrict certain actions supporting unsanctioned foreign boycotts and separately require reporting receipt of certain boycott-related requests.

Last Reviewed: 2026-09-19Plain-English reference · not legal advice

Plain-English Summary

The antiboycott provisions administered by BIS do two related but distinct things: they prohibit or restrict certain conduct that furthers or supports an unsanctioned foreign boycott, and they require U.S. persons to report receipt of certain boycott-related requests. A request can be reportable even when the requested action would be permissible, and not every boycott-related phrase creates the same prohibition.

Why This Matters

Boycott language can appear inside contracts, purchase orders, letters of credit, shipping instructions, questionnaires, or other routine documents. The reviewer therefore needs to recognize the request, determine whether Part 760 prohibits the requested conduct, and separately determine whether receipt of the request must be reported to BIS.

Visual Guide

Routine term vs reportable boycott request

Routine commercial term

Ordinary price, delivery, quality terms
No reference to a boycotted country
No request to exclude blacklisted firms

Reportable boycott request

Asks you to certify no dealings with a boycotted country
Demands information to verify boycott compliance
Must be refused and reported to BIS

Boycott requests often hide in contracts, letters of credit, and shipping documents. When in doubt, escalate.

Explanation Depth

Concept Explanation

Some foreign transaction documents ask U.S. companies to support a boycott the United States does not sanction. U.S. rules may forbid certain requested actions, and some requests have to be reported to BIS even if the company does not comply. The reviewer has to answer both questions separately.

When You'll See This in SecurePoint

SecurePoint can preserve a boycott-related screening or document-review signal and the reviewer’s recorded disposition. It does not determine whether a specific request is prohibited or reportable and does not file a boycott-request report with BIS.

What You Should Do Next

Preserve the document or communication containing the request and route it to the person responsible for antiboycott review. Determine whether the requested action is prohibited, permissible, or otherwise restricted under Part 760 and whether the receipt is reportable under 15 CFR 760.5. Do not equate 'reportable' with 'prohibited' or assume declining a request eliminates the reporting duty.

What Can Go Wrong

The two common errors are complying with conduct that Part 760 prohibits and failing to report a request that Section 760.5 requires to be reported. Another error is automatically rejecting every transaction associated with a party on BIS’s Requester List; that list is an awareness aid, not a determination that every transaction with a listed requester violates the EAR.

Sources & References

Related Terms

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Legal Disclaimer

This glossary entry is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. SecurePoint USA is not a law firm, does not provide legal representation, and this system is not a replacement for qualified sanctions or export control counsel. While we strive to present accurate, up-to-date summaries of regulatory terms, regulations are complex and subject to change. Always consult with your institution's legal team or a certified compliance professional before making legal or operational determinations.