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.”
Law firms are advising clients of changes to Mexican customs laws that begin Jan. 1, including that customs brokers will be liable if their clients provide false or inaccurate information.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., introduced a bill last month that would require the president to sanction foreign entities and individuals who intentionally damage subsea fiber optic cables.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill Nov. 20 that aims to protect American companies that are sued in federal court for complying with U.S. sanctions and export controls against Russia.
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 Bureau of Industry and Security shouldn't expect freight forwarders and logistics providers to carry out the same level of 50% rule due-diligence as exporters, which have much more visibility into the products being shipped and are better positioned to make sure they comply with the new regulations, logistics companies and trade groups told BIS in public comments released this month.
The European Anti-Fraud Office and Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, announced a new initiative this month to tackle Russia- and Belarus-related sanctions evasion, especially illegal exports of vehicles. The joint effort, called Project Transporter, aims to better support EU member states investigating potential sanctions breaches while bringing together expert investigators from the law enforcement community -- especially customs, police and financial crimes investigators -- to probe vehicle exports to Russia and Belarus.
The U.S. should use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to sanction those responsible for China's recent increase in religious repression, witnesses told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China Nov. 20.