The U.S. Commerce Department has imposed a $78,000 civil penalty against Gotco International, a Texas-based oil tool manufacturer, for allegedly complying with the Arab boycott against Israel.
The company agreed to pay the fine, $38,000 of which was suspended by Commerce, while neither denying nor admitting the alleged violations. Commerce suspended the $38,000 conditional on Gotco’s compliance with the Export Administration Act. Failure to do so within three years would cause that amount of the fine to be reimposed.
The department alleged that the company violated U.S. anti-boycott laws 19 times, including 10 instances of refusing to do business with firms on the Arab League blacklist.
At the time, between 1988 and 1992, Gotco was involved with the Syrian Petroleum Co.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.