The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other U.S. laws prohibit the payment of money or anything else of value to a foreign official, a foreign political party, an official of a foreign political party, or any candidate for any foreign political office, for the purposes of obtaining, retaining, or directing business. We must strictly abide by these laws. Any violation or solicitations to violate must be reported immediately.

When you are conducting business in another country, you may encounter laws and local customs that differ widely from those in the United States. Both the laws of the country where you are and the laws of the United States must be obeyed. In addition, where local law or common business practices may be less restrictive than those found in this handbook, the standards contained in this handbook will apply.

Seek advice, in advance, from the Legislative and International Affairs Office in any situation in which facilitating payments (payments for expediting that simply facilitates the proper performance of duties) may be involved.