On March 15, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Department of State (State) each published final rules in the Federal Register adding additional export controls for Nicaragua.

State’s final rule amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by adding Nicaragua to its list of “proscribed countries”—namely, those countries “for which it is the policy of the United States to deny licenses or other approvals for exports and imports of defense services and defense articles.”

The BIS final rule makes amendments to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to align with the changes made to the ITAR. The alignment adds Nicaragua to Country Group D, which applies “a stringent licensing policy” to items controlled under the ITAR for “national security reasons” and makes the country subject to existing “’military end use’ and ‘military end user’ restrictions.”

Both rules are effective March 15, 2024.

The BIS rule can be found here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/15/2024-05696/revisions-to-export-reexport-and-transfer-in-country-controls-for-nicaragua-under-the-export

The State rule can be found here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/15/2024-05695/international-traffic-in-arms-regulations-addition-to-list-of-proscribed-countries