Includes the U.S. government export controls that companies need to abide by when exporting to this country.
Last Published: 6/13/2019

Lebanon is not subject to special U.S. export sanctions.  In principle, all U.S. exports require a license, though in practice the vast majority of U.S. exports fall under a “general license” that allows exports without obtaining permission from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  When doing business with Lebanon, U.S. exporters should consider the following U.S. export regulations:

  • For a number of items, specific export licenses are required.  These items include products whose high-tech nature implies that export may involve a national security risk.  Contacting BIS will enable an exporter to determine whether a specific item requires a license.  If a specific license is required, one of the considerations is the reliability of the end-user.  Government agencies and companies with a solid business reputation are more likely to be granted a license.

U.S. companies should verify whether the U.S. government has prohibited doing business with a particular Lebanese company/ individual due to past export control violations or because they are subject to a U.S. sanctions program.  U.S. companies should consult the BIS Denied Persons List and the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which are available online at the following links: BIS List and Treasury List.
The International Trade Administration’s Consolidated Screening List combines export-screening databases from the Departments of Commerce, State, and the Treasury into a single search tool.  U.S. exporters may conduct electronic screens of potential international export partners using this database.  

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.