China leads in a range of technologies that will be “highly relevant” to technology sharing capabilities under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) security partnership, including hypersonics, electronic warfare and autonomous underwater vehicles, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said this week. ASPI, which released the data as part of an update to its critical technology tracker, which ranks leaders in various advanced technologies, said AUKUS related critical technologies “are a two-horse race between China and the US,” but China holds a "convincing" lead in 19 of the 23 technologies newly evaluated by the think tank and "has built the foundations to position itself as the world’s leading science and technology superpower."
The State Department’s recently announced debarment of VTA Telecom (see 2305310040) highlights how cooperation with the government can lead to lower penalties, Miller & Chevalier said in a June 6 client alert. Although the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls didn’t “award credit” for VTA's disclosure, it did credit it for cooperating with DDTC’s investigation, which led to a debarment but no fine, the firm said. DDTC could have imposed a maximum $7.2 million penalty against the company.
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The Bureau of Industry and Security again renewed the temporary denial order (TDO) for three U.S. companies for their involvement in illegally exported technical drawings and blueprints to China (see 2206080068) after continuing to find evidence of additional potential export violations. The order, originally issued June 8, 2022, before being renewed in December (see 2212080007), was renewed for another 180 days on June 1, BIS said.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the Census Bureau will hold a June 15 “refresher” webinar on using the Defense Export Control and Compliance System, the agencies announced this week. The webinar will feature a “deep dive into key Registration topics and functionality” and cover “upcoming updates that users can expect to the Registration application.” It will also include a question-and-answer period.
The State Department this week announced the debarment of U.S.-based telecommunications company VTA Telecom to settle allegations it violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The agency’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls imposed the three-year debarment, which prohibits VTA from participating in any activities subject to the ITAR, after it said VTA illegally exported defense goods to Vietnam and gave false statements on export documents.
The State Department is working on a new trade authorization that would expedite technology transfers among the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, said Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Lewis, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee May 24, said she’s also open to legislation that could reduce export licensing burdens, especially as part of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls this week updated its guidance on authorization requests for U.S. persons providing defense services abroad. The document, which was last updated in January (see 2301060022), clarifies how to “identify” U.S. Munitions List defense service categories and commodity categories in the submission letter, states that “support documents” should be submitted as PDFs, notes applicants must address periods of U.S. residency even if they never lived in the U.S., and more.
Concern is “growing” within the U.S., Australia and the U.K. that “indiscriminate and extraterritorial application” of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations will hurt the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership and “slow-roll cooperation on existing technology transfer,” the Sydney-based U.S. Studies Centre said in a report released this month. The report warned that “another failure” to reform the ITAR could “carry significant consequences for the three countries’ shared defence technology advantages vis-a-vis China and, therefore, their ability to deter regional conflict.”
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is seeking public comments on an information collection involving requests for advisory opinions. Exporters can submit an advisory opinion request to DDTC to help determine whether the agency may grant or deny a particular export, to receive guidance on regulatory requirements and more. Comments are due July 24.