The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released updates to its list of controlled “common high priority” items identified as critical to Russia’s war effort following meetings with key members of the Global Export Control Coalition. In coordination with partners, BIS has added seven new Harmonized System (HS) codes to the list, including bearings needed for heavy vehicles or other machinery and antennae used for navigation systems. Additionally, Tier 3 has been divided into mechanical and non- mechanical items to provide greater clarity.
With this submission, the Census Bureau is requesting continued clearance of the AES program as a result of the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register on August 10, 2023 ( 88 FR 54234 ) …
This information is necessary to support the execution of the President's priorities and allocations authority under the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), as amended, and the priorities authorities under the Selective Service Act of 1948 , delegated to the Secretary of Commerce and implemented by the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) regulation. The purpose of this authority is to ensure preferential acceptance and priority performance of contracts and orders for all materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials, the authority for which has not been delegated to other agencies in support of approved national defense programs.
House Ways and Means Committee members are calling on the Administration and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to fight Canada’s unilateral imposition of a digital service tax. The members noted that almost all 140 economies participating in the OECD work to reach agreement on updated international tax rules approved a one-year extension of the moratorium on DSTs through December 31, 2024. “We are disappointed that Canada is unfortunately moving against this global consensus with a punitive DST scheduled to take effect next year.”
On 15 September 2023, the European Commission adopted a Delegated Regulation updating the EU dual-use export control list in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/821. The update brings the list in line with decisions taken in the multilateral Export Control Regime's Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) in 2022. The decisions taken in the Australia Group (AG) in 2022 have been introduced in the control list in Annex I by means of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/996 of 23 February 2023.
Chief engineer Denys Korotkiy of the Dry Cargo vessel Donald was sentenced on Sept. 15 to serve twelve months and a day in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and failure to maintain an accurate oil record book. Vessel operating company Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH previously pleaded guilty for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water and was ordered to pay a total of $1.25 million, including more than $312,000 to benefit marine and coastal natural resources in or near the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
A Russian citizen who has resided in Hong Kong, was charged in connection with conspiring to defraud the United States and with smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses based on his alleged participation in a scheme to unlawfully procure U.S.-sourced, dual-use microelectronics with military applications on behalf of end users in Russia. According to the complaint, Maxim Marchenko, 51, employed a web of shell companies as part of an overseas smuggling ring to ship dual-use U.S. technology with military applications to Russia in contravention of U.S. law. …
U.S. government announced the establishment of a humanitarian channel in Qatar (HC) to further facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran consistent with the U.S. government’s longstanding support for humanitarian trade. Similar to humanitarian channels established under previous administrations, the HC is designed to support the Iranian people’s access to food, agricultural goods, medicine, and medical devices under stringent due diligence measures that guard against money laundering, misuse, and evasion of U.S. sanctions
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published a Small Entity Compliance Guide to assist the small business community in complying with the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting rule. Foreign companies that register in U.S. states after Jan. 1 may need to report beneficial ownership information to comply with the Corporate Transparency Act. Starting in 2024, many entities created in, or registered to do business in, the United States will be required to report to FinCEN information about their beneficial owners—the individuals who ultimately own or control a company.
This collection of information addresses three activities: (1) Import Certificates/End Use Certificates, (2) Delivery Verification, and (3) Firearms Entry Clearance Requirements. This collection of information addresses three activities: (1) Import Certificates/End Use Certificates, (2) Delivery Verification, and (3) Firearms Entry Clearance Requirements. Soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary; accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden; evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity ; and minimize the reporting burden. …
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will hold the 2023 Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy from Tuesday, November 28 through Thursday, November 30 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Washington, D.C. This 36th annual conference will be offered in in-person only, for two and a half days, with an evening reception. Sessions will include keynote speakers, plenaries, breakout sessions, and live Q&A with BIS and other agency experts.
On September 18, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries following the remediation of forced …
Reacting to news reports of espionage activities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on American soil, Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), along with other members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, have called for an urgent classified briefing from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In a stern letter, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) warned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that regulations must be immediately issued to prevent taxpayer funded subsidies for electric vehicles and batteries in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) from flowing to adversarial nations such as China.
Registration is open for a Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in-person seminar in Southern California. This is the last BIS Complying with U.S. Export Controls seminar in 2023! …
Chairman Mike Gallagher of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party urged U.S. officials to enforce sanctions against certain Chinese officials and entities. In a letter addressed …
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) assessed a $15 million civil money penalty against Bancrédito International Bank and Trust Corporation for willful violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and its implementing regulations. Julio Martin Herrera Velutini, the founder of Bancredito International Bank & Trust Corp.has been indicted for a long list of financial crimes, precipitated by his ofer to finance the election campaign of Governor Wanda Vazquez if she would fire the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico, which she did.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, designated key Hizballah operatives and financial facilitators in South America and Lebanon. This action includes the senior Hizballah operative, who carried out the terrorist attack against the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Argentina in 1994 that killed 85 people. Amer Mohamed Akil Rada and his associates manage a commercial enterprise for Hizballah, including charcoal exports to Lebanon.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 29 individuals and entities in connection with the Iranian regime’s violent suppression of nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa “Zhina” Amini in custody of its ‘Morality Police,’ and the regime’s continued efforts to detain dissenting voices and restrict access to a free and open internet.
Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Paul Rosen gave attendees of the Second Annual CFIUS Conference an update on enforcement and pending regulatory change. His remarks follow, well worth the read. For those without the time, here's the gist: "“We are on track to have more civil monetary penalties issued this year than we have in our entire history.”