AGENCY: Industry and Trade Administration (formerly Domestic and Innational Business Administration), reau of Trade Regulation, Dcpartnt of Commerce.

The agency is amending the Restrictive Trade Practices or boycotts part of the Export Administion Regulations (Part 369, Tide 15, of Federal Regulations). The mges are being made to implement de II of the Export Administration lendments of 1977 (Pub. L. S5-52). turned into law on June 22, 1977. In leral, these regulations prohibit united States persons from complying each specified foreign boycott requirements, including the furnishing of boycott-related information.

The Treasury Department today issued new guidelines, consisting of questions and answers, relating to the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1976 which deny certain tax benefits for participation in or cooperation with international boycotts.

The new guidelines supersede earlier sets of guidelines issued November 4, 1976 (Treasury news release VVS-1156), December 30, 1976 (WS-1239), and August 12, 1977 (B-390). and published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on November 11, 1976, January 5, 1977, and August 17, 1977, respectively. The guidelines Issued today generally are effective for operations occurring after, requests received after, and agreements made after November 3, 1976. As qualified by the following exceptions, this effective date affords a retroactive benefit to taxpayers who can claim the advantage of any rule in today's guidelines which is more favorable than previous guidelines.

To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1034 to make it unlawful for an issuer of securities registered pursuant to section 12 of such Act or an issuer required to file reports pursuant to section 15(d) of such Act to make certain payments to foreign officials and other foreign persons, to require such issuers to maintain accurate records, and for other purposes.