Following reports that China is continuing to buy U.S.-made DNA equipment despite U.S. export restrictions, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said the Bureau of Industry and Security needs to strengthen its controls.
The Commerce Department published its spring 2021 regulatory agenda for the Bureau of Industry and Security, including two new mentions of emerging technology rules and new export controls on certain camera systems.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule to reflect the United Arab Emirates formally ending its participation in the Arab League Boycott of Israel. Under the rule, effective June 8, certain “requests for information, action or agreement from the UAE” will not be “presumed to be boycott-related” -- and therefore not restricted or reportable under the Export Administration Regulations -- if they were made before Aug. 16, 2020, BIS said.
3M, a U.S. producer of aluminum oxide fibers, announced that its “Nextel 312 ceramic fibers and textiles” were removed from export control license requirements due to a Commerce Department final rule published in March (see 2103260019). The rule made several revisions to the agency’s Commerce Control List to implement changes made during the 2019 Wassenaar Arrangement and removed license requirements for a range of Nextel 312 products, including Nextel 312 “fibers, rovings, yarns, sewing threads, tapes, sleevings, and fabrics,” 3M said June 2. The products are “now available globally,” the company said, “reducing previous barriers that slowed down global customer adoption.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security fined a Dubai company $25,000 for violating the Export Administration Regulations when it exported “powder grade nickel” to the United Arab Emirates, according to a May 28 order. The company, Alsima Middle East General Trading, submitted false and misleading statements to BIS in its license application for the export, the agency said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security added eight entities to the Entity List for their involvement in nuclear proliferation activities and issued several other revisions, one correction and one removal from the Entity List and Military End User List. The eight entities, located in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, include laboratory equipment providers, engineering companies and electronics makers. They will face a license requirement for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, and BIS will impose a license review policy of presumption of denial. No license exceptions will be available. The changes take effect June 1.
Export controls over 3D-printed guns were moved from the Commerce Department to the State Department following a court’s decision this week to officially waive a preliminary injunction that had blocked the transfer (see 2105030021).
The Bureau of Industry and Security added eight entities to the Entity List for their involvement in nuclear proliferation activities. The entities, located in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, will face a license requirement for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, and BIS will impose a license review policy of presumption of denial.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for May 17-21 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Commerce Department again renewed a temporary export denial order for Mahan Airways because the airline continues to violate the order and the Export Administration Regulations, according to a May 21 notice. The Iranian airline has been on the banned list since 2008. The latest renewal is for 180 days.