The Bureau of Industry and Security is extending the public comment period for an information collection relating to offset agreements worth more than $5 million for sales of weapons systems or defense articles to foreign countries or companies (see 2402150023). BIS said it defines offsets as “compensation practices required as a condition of purchase in either government-to-government or commercial sales of defense articles.” The agency is allowing for another 30 days of comments.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is extending the public comment period for an information collection relating to statements required under certain exports by the ultimate consignee and purchaser (see 2403220011). The collection involves Form BIS-711, which provides information on the foreign importer receiving U.S. technology, describes how the technology will be used and “provides assurances” that the technology will not be used in violation of the Export Administration Regulations. BIS is allowing for an additional 30 days of comments.
The Federal Maritime Commission issued a “policy statement” this week to explain that it can use subpoena authority and other “administrative investigatory authorities” when probing agreements between and among ocean carriers and marine terminal operators that may be anticompetitive.
The State Department approved a possible $115 million military sale to Belgium, including 196 “Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-53/B Small Diameter Bombs-Increment II (SDB-II) All-Up-Rounds,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said July 25. The principal contractor will be RTX Corp.
The State Department approved a possible $2.8 billion military sale to Saudi Arabia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said July 23. The sale includes “follow-on logistics support and services” for defense-related hardware and parts. DSCA said various contractors will be “associated with the provision of equipment and services involved with this case, and there is no prime contractor.”
Ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd provided motor carrier S.P.F. Logistics of Long Beach, California, with inadequate opportunities to return empty containers, forcing SPF to store the containers at its own expense, according to a complaint filed July 16 with the Federal Maritime Commission.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking public comments on an information collection involving a December rule that placed safeguards around sensitive information submitted to the agency as part of FinCEN’s new beneficial ownership information reporting requirements (see 2312210017). The agency said the new rules will help U.S. law enforcement and national security agencies “prevent and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, tax fraud, and other illicit activity, as well as protect national security.” Comments are due Aug. 22.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a rule last week to finalize changes to its Defense Priorities and Allocations System regulation with “minor technical amendments” from the proposed version BIS released in February. The rule, effective Aug. 21, will clarify the “existing standards and procedures” by which BIS may provide special priorities assistance, providing “transparency and differentiation between other departments’ priorities” and the Commerce Department’s jurisdiction. Other changes make “technical edits to reflect certain non-substantive updates since the DPAS regulation was last amended in 2014.”
The State Department approved a possible $138.26 million military sale to the Czech Republic, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said July 17. The sale includes "Hellfire Missiles and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System" and other logistics and program support, and the principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.
Trade ministers from the U.S., the EU, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Japan and the U.K. said they are working together to ensure that economic coercion and attempts to weaponize economic dependencies fail, and are developing new tools to do so.