The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls plans to remove export controls from certain high-energy storage capacitors with a voltage rating of 125 volts or less, saying the capacitors are widely commercially available and no longer provide military or intelligence advantages. The change, outlined in an interim final rule released April 26 and effective May 21, builds on the agency’s decision last year to temporarily suspend export license requirements for the capacitors (see 2211230030 and 2212060007). Comments on the rule are due May 30.
Users of the State Department’s Defense Export Controls and Compliance System are now limited to five attempts when responding to password recovery questions within the application, the agency said this week. “After the fifth attempt, the account will be locked,” the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said. Users who are unable to access their DECCS account for this reason should contact the DDTC information technology help desk at ddtccustomerservice@state.gov.
House lawmakers are working on legislation they say could lift some of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations’ burdensome technology sharing restrictions, including controls limiting trade with the U.S.’ closest allies. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., said the bill could create an ITAR exemption for technology transfers under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership, among other changes.
The State Department completed a round of interagency review for an interim final rule that would seek public comments on revisions to the U.S. Munitions List. The rule, sent for review Feb. 2 (see 2302030013) and completed April 17, would request feedback “regarding the technology frontier,” which could help the agency identify specific technology capabilities that have “sufficiently evolved” to consider amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The rule could add, revise or exclude certain items from the ITAR.
DOJ this week announced a $365,000 settlement with General Motors over claims that the car maker -- in an attempt to comply with U.S. export control laws -- discriminated against non-U.S. citizens in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The agency also released a fact sheet to help employers avoid citizenship status discrimination when seeking to comply with export control laws.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., reintroduced a bill last week that could lead to new export controls and sanctions against China. The China Technology Transfer Control Act, first introduced during the last Congress, calls on the president to impose restrictions on “any covered national interest technology or intellectual property” exported from the U.S. to China or by a U.S. person to China. It also would require the Commerce and State departments to submit a report to Congress within 90 days of the bill’s enactment “assessing” whether any covered technologies should be controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will soon expand the types of defense articles and services that can be exported to Australia, the U.K. and Canada, including items and activities involving torpedoes, submarine combat control systems, acoustic countermeasure devices and night vision items. The measures were outlined in a final rule, released April 11 and effective May 12, that will also make “clarifying amendments and conforming updates” to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week suspended the export privileges of three people for illegally shipping items to China and Mexico.
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The State Department this week extended its open general license pilot program for three years, allowing users to continue using the licenses beyond the original July 31 expiration date. The agency’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said the extension will help it “collect sufficient data to consider the usefulness” of the pilot -- which includes a license each for certain reexports and retransfers -- and will give companies “sufficient certainty” to continue relying on the licenses “without fear that they could expire more quickly than a traditional license.”