Nearly $12 billion worth of American goods flowed into the emirates in 2007. Officials in the emirates say the United States - which prohibits American companies from directly selling most goods to Iran and bars foreign companies from reselling dual-use products there - has complicated efforts to follow the rules.

The officials, with trade experts, blame America for overstating the potential dangers of certain goods or passing on tips about illicit shipments that are inaccurate or too vague to act.

''They like to exaggerate, or at least try to point to some strategic significance of the item, like saying, 'This software program could be used to design nuclear power plants,' even if someone is just buying it to draw puppies and flowers,'' said Clif Burns, an export control lawyer at Powell Goldstein in Washington.

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