The U.S. is imposing export penalties against three Chinese companies, a Pakistani company and a Chinese national for their involvement in “missile technology proliferation activities,” the State Department said in a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Sept. 12.

The EU announced this week that it’s amending its dual-use export control list by adding and removing certain items, changing certain control parameters and revising technical definitions and descriptions. The changes reflect updates made by multilateral export control regimes during 2023, the European Commission said, including at the Australia Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Chemical Weapons Convention. The commission noted that these latest changes are “restricted in number because of the difficulties in the regimes’ proceedings,” alluding to the fact that Russia remains a member of Wassenaar and can veto new proposals (see 2405300063). The revisions will take effect one day after they’re published in the Official Journal of the EU.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week updated its guidance on applying for deemed export licenses, which people or companies must obtain before sharing a controlled item, software or technology with a foreign person on U.S. soil if a license would normally be required for that person's most recent country of citizenship or permanent residence. The guidance outlines the type of information applicants must submit, the information BIS takes into account when reviewing those licenses, and the set of conditions that the agency said are “standard” for approved licenses. A list of license condition best practices includes a reminder that approved applicants must annually verify to BIS that the foreign person has a “required work authorization” or that the foreign person has left the country.

The Netherlands last week said it expanded its export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools, imposing new license requirements on certain deep ultraviolet lithography equipment that can be used to make high-end chips. The new control, effective Sept. 7, is meant to restrict equipment that can be used to make chips with “advanced military applications,” the Dutch government said, which “has implications for the Netherlands’ security interests.”

Russia has “secretly” been using India as an alternative market to acquire export-controlled dual-use technologies and has explored building facilities in the country to obtain components for its war against Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Sept. 4. Plans drawn up by the Russian government show the country aimed to use “significant reserves” of rupees collected by Russian banks from oil sales to India to help with the effort, and considered “pumping investment into Russo-Indian electronics development and production facilities,” the report said.

The State Department completed a round of interagency review for a final rule that would amend restrictions against Cyprus under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The rule, sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 29 (see 2409030006) and completed Sept. 5, could build on past measures to relax export restrictions for certain defense goods and services involving the country (see 2309130028).

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls this week updated its guidance and frequently asked questions for U.S. persons providing defense services abroad.

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a correction to a June final rule that introduced new export controls and expanded existing restrictions against Russia and Belarus (see 2406120036). The correction fixes a typo.

The State Department is working on a final rule that would amend restrictions against Cyprus under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The rule, sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 29, could build on steps the State Department has taken to relax export restrictions for certain defense goods and services involving the country (see 2309130028).

The Bureau of Industry and Security sent a final rule for interagency review that could remove export licensing requirements for certain spacecraft and related items destined to Australia, Canada and the U.K. BIS sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 30.