The Bureau of Industry and Security's recently issued FAQs for its new Affiliates Rule (see 2509290017) are “helpful in clarifying the scope” of the rule, but they also leave some “burning” questions unanswered, ArentFox said in a client alert.

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has restored limited access to its Defense Export Control and Compliance System (DECCS) amid the government shutdown. While DECCS users still cannot make new submissions or updates, they can view their completed submissions in read-only mode.

A new message on the Bureau of Industry and Security's website alerts exporters that the agency is prioritizing reviews of urgent license applications during the government shutdown, and it provides instructions on how to request expedited reviews.

A Bureau of Industry and Security interim final rule that introduced a 50% ownership threshold rule for the Entity List and Military End-User List was released and effective Sept. 29 (see 2509290017).

The 60-day temporary general license in the Bureau of Industry and Security's new 50% rule (see 2509290017) is “very limited” and could push exporters to apply for licenses “on an expedited basis to avoid noncompliance,” Morgan Lewis said in a client alert.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is working to issue a final rule for a set of regulations that in January placed new export controls on certain lab equipment that can be misused by "countries of concern" for military purposes (see 2501150020). The rulemaking, sent for interagency review Sept. 23, will finalize those revisions to "address the accelerating development and deployment of advanced biotechnology tools contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests," BIS said.

Planet Labs, a California-based Earth imaging company, disclosed this month that it has submitted a voluntary self-disclosure to the Bureau of Industry and Security about potential export control violations.

The increasing trend by Wassenaar Arrangement members, including those in the EU, of adopting export controls outside the regime reflects a shift away from multilateral bodies and “increases the risk of a patchwork of controls within the EU single market,” Akin said in a client alert.

China's Ministry of Commerce is asking for public comments on a revised draft of its administrative measures governing dual-use export licenses, according to an unofficial translation. Comments can be submitted to fg_agj@mofcom.gov.cn by Oct. 16.

A new State Department export license exemption for underwater drones provides “new flexibility” for companies using those drones for certain commercial and scientific operations, but companies still need to set “careful compliance guardrails” to make sure they’re using the exemption correctly, K&L Gates said in a client alert.