FedEx is appealing a U.S. court’s September decision to dismiss the company’s 2019 lawsuit against the Bureau of Industry and Security (see 2009110038), according to court records filed Nov. 5. The shipping company told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that BIS was acting outside the authority of the Export Administration Regulations by applying overly burdensome liability standards on carriers (see 1906250030). But BIS said FedEx’s allegations were politically driven (see 1909110073) and the court said FedEx failed to prove the allegations (see 2009110038). In September, FedEx said it was “disappointed” by the court’s ruling and was considering an appeal (see 2009140003).
The U.S. seized 27 domain names registered to the sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Justice Department said Nov. 4. The domain names were being used to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran and the IRGC, including by acting as if they were “genuine news outlets” to target U.S. audiences and influence U.S. public opinion, the Justice Department said. The IRGC’s operation of the domains violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions Sanctions Regulations, which block U.S. people from providing services to the Iranian government without a license. The move follows previous U.S. seizures of domain names operated by the IRGC (see 2010080026).
The Bureau of Industry and Security did not impose penalties on a U.S. electronics company that had disclosed potential export violations (see 1911290004) for shipments involving Iran and Syria, Arrow Electronics said in an Oct. 29 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Arrow, which disclosed that it helped ship $5,000 worth of products to resellers covered by U.S. sanctions, said BIS closed its investigation and issued the company a warning letter with no penalties. BIS declined to comment. Arrow said it is still being investigated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for the sanctions violations, which “may result in the imposition of penalties.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked export privileges for three people for illegal firearms exports, according to Oct. 30 orders.
A Chinese man pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export “maritime raiding craft” and engines to China, the Justice Department said Nov. 2. Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd. Chairman Ge Songtao also pleaded guilty to submitting false export information to the U.S. government. Ge faces a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Huawei is suing the Trump administration for not releasing documents more than a year after the Chinese technology company requested them. In the lawsuit, filed Oct. 30, Huawei said its Freedom of Information Act requests have been met with “a remarkable degree of stonewalling” and relate to the U.S. investigation into Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, “trade relations” between the U.S. and China and “competition over the development of 5G technology.” Huawei named a range of U.S. agencies in the complaint, including the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
A Chinese energy company, its U.S. affiliate and a Chinese national were charged with conspiracy to steal technology and trade secrets from a U.S. company, the Justice Department said Oct. 29. The agency said China-based Jason Energy Technologies (JET), U.S.-based Jason Oil and Gas Equipment and Chinese national Lei Gao worked with Robert Erford of Dayton, Texas, to steal the technology from a Houston oil and gas manufacturer.
A Taiwanese chipmaker pleaded guilty and was fined $60 million for conspiring to steal trade secrets from a U.S. semiconductor company, the Justice Department said Oct. 28. Taiwan-based United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) allegedly tried to steal intellectual property from U.S.-based Micron Technology to benefit Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit, a Chinese state-owned company. The $60 million fine was the “second largest ever” in a U.S. criminal trade secret prosecution, the Justice Department said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked export privileges for two Orlando, Florida, residents after they illegally exported firearms and ammunition from the U.S. to Haiti, BIS said in Oct. 26 orders. BIS said Junior Joel Joseph was convicted April 12, 2019, of violating the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when he conspired to export AR-15 rifles, Glock semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and ammunition to Haiti without the required licenses. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison, with three years of supervised release and a $500 fine. Jimy Joseph was convicted May 22, 2019, of conspiring to illegally export AR-15 rifles, Glock semi-automatic pistols and ammunition and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $200 fine. BIS revoked each man's export privileges for seven years from the date of his conviction.
The Justice Department seized two websites being illegally used by a U.S.-sanctioned foreign terrorist group, it said Oct. 21. The Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah operated the websites, Aletejahtv.com and kataibhezbollah.com, as a “media arm,” Justice said. The group used the websites to publish videos, articles and photos to further its agenda, which includes “destabilizing Iraq and recruiting others to join their cause.”