Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls published a "redline" document to highlight recent changes made to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations as a result of the agency’s ITAR reorganization effort. The revised document reflects changes made to the ITAR in light of DDTC’s removal of its arms embargo against Cambodia (see 2511060016) and its continued temporary suspension of restrictions on certain defense exports to Cyprus (see 2509080001). "Those changes are identified in the reorg redline by identifier 'Rev.17,'" DDTC said.
Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, and Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, announced Dec. 3 that they have introduced a bill aimed at protecting whistleblowers who report defense export control violations.
Rebecca Hindt left her role as a senior compliance specialist with the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to join Collins Aerospace as an associate director for global trade, she announced on LinkedIn last week. She first joined DDTC in 2018.
The State Department completed interagency review last week for a final rule involving an exemption within the International Traffic in Arms Regulations for defense trade between the AUKUS nations of Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. The rule, sent for interagency review in September (see 2509120027) could build on the agency's August 2024 interim final rule, which created the exemption to reduce certain export control barriers under the ITAR (see 2408160019).
Advanced technology and AI companies largely supported the Commerce Department’s new effort to create a program aimed at increasing U.S. exports of AI technologies and services, with some saying companies should commit to "rigorous" export compliance conditions before being allowed to participate. One company said the U.S. should require businesses to automate their compliance for exports involving certain dual-use AI models, saying manual compliance presents too many “failure points.”
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls last month updated its list of commodity jurisdiction determinations for items and services controlled under the U.S. Munitions List. The new determinations cover certain batteries, a life raft, a system to disrupt drones, ammunition, a microwave instrument and more.
The Council on Governmental Relations, an organization of more than 200 U.S. research universities, released new guidance that outlines the major federal regulations governing research security, including export control rules, guardrails for sensitive information transfers, foreign investment restrictions and more. The 25-page document highlights both "policy expectations and practical considerations for integrating research security" into university activities. It's aimed at helping "technology transfer professionals balance their universities’ longstanding commitment to open scientific exchange with increasing federal requirements to safeguard sensitive research outputs, including materials, data, and intellectual property, from unauthorized access, diversion, or foreign exploitation."
The Trump administration's November designation of Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally is set to streamline requirements related to direct commercial sales of defense articles, especially space-related activities subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, DLA Piper said in a client alert.
The U.S. launched a new export licensing platform that allows users to track the progress of applications submitted to both the State and Commerce departments, which it said will “simplify export control processes, enhance compliance, and provide centralized resources for industry users.”