The Department of the Treasury on Oct. 13 issued a current list of countries that require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott. The list includes Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, unchanged from the previous iteration of the list. Treasury added that it is “monitoring the situation” in the UAE, which has announced that it issued a decree repealing its boycott of Israel. According to a Baker McKenzie Sanctions & Export Controls Update blog post on Sept. 21, while the UAE action “may eventually result in changes to the Commerce Regulations and Treasury Rules to reflect the UAE’s repeal of the boycott, this has not happened yet, and it could be some time before any changes occur.”
The State Department approved potential military sales to Finland worth more than $27 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Oct. 8. Under the first sale, Finland would get 64 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter CTOL aircraft, engines and related equipment worth about $12.5 billion. The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, Boeing and Raytheon Missiles and Defense. The second sale includes 50 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft, weapons and related equipment worth about $14.7 billion. The principal contractors will be Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Electric and Lockheed Martin.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on Oct. 6 extended the comment period for its pre-rule on foundational technologies, clarifying that it will accept “confidential business information” from commenters if they follow certain guidelines. Comments, which were previously due Oct. 26 (see 2008260045), are now due Nov. 9.
The Bureau of Industry and Security released a final rule Oct. 5 to prevent its publicly disclosing classified national security information during a court battle. The rule said BIS can submit classified information in private -- or “ex parte and in camera” -- to courts reviewing an agency action under Export Administration Regulations. “By providing such information ex parte and in camera to a reviewing court,” the rule said, “BIS can limit access to the information and prevent public disclosure of the information during the course of litigation.”
The State Department approved potential military sales to South Korea and Egypt worth about $575 million combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Oct. 1. Under the proposed sales, South Korea would get 115 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder missiles and related equipment worth about $158 million. The principal contractor will be Raytheon. The sale to Egypt includes Maritime Domain Awareness system and related equipment worth about $417 million. Advanced Technology Systems Company will be the prime contractor.
The State Department approved potential military sales to Switzerland and India worth more than $16 billion combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Sept. 30. The sales include three separate purchases by Switzerland and one purchase by India.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration signed a memorandum of understanding that they say will lead to better agency coordination for U.S. dairy exports. The memorandum, released Oct. 1, will better align the FDA with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and Foreign Agricultural Service to help U.S. exporters address questions from trading partners, the two agencies said.
The State Department may intervene in certain patent applications if they contain technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said in guidance issued Sept. 30. While DDTC said it does not “restrict” the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from publishing patents, it may impose an “invention secrecy order” on the patent application if it contains ITAR-sensitive information. That secrecy order would force the USPTO to “withhold the publication of the application or the grant of a patent.”
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Japan worth about $55 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Sept. 28. The sale includes 51 “Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2 Tactical Missiles, RIM-116C,” operator manuals, technical documentations and storage containers. The prime contractor is Raytheon Missiles and Defense Company.
President Donald Trump will nominate Scott Dane of Minnesota to become a member of the President’s Export Council, the White House said Sept. 28. The White House did not release more information about the nominee.