The U.S.-Swiss joint mechanism used to export humanitarian goods to Iran is now “fully operational,” the Treasury Department said Feb. 27. Treasury also issued a general license and a series of frequently asked questions to clarify how the mechanism can be used.
The State Department is creating a “Guidance Portal” that contains links to all agency guidance documents, the State department said in a notice. The portal will be available starting Feb. 28 at www.state.gov/guidance. The State Department will accept comments on any of the guidance documents included in the portal, by email at guidance@state.gov.
The Defense Department’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency released its annual report on foreign attempts to target U.S. technologies, according to a Feb. 25 notice. The report details the cleared industry’s reporting of “suspicious contact” that represents “potential foreign intelligence entities attempts” to illegally acquire U.S. technologies. The report details attempts to acquire U.S. electronics, aeronautic systems, computers, and more, breaking down attempts by geographic region.
Vehicles being exported from New York may face delays and may be “de-pritotized” for export due to recent state legislation, according to a Feb. 6 CBP press release. The legislation, the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, restricts CBP’s access to certain criminal history information recorded by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the agency said, which will affect its Vehicle Exports Program. The change will affect vehicles titled in New York “when supporting documents cannot be authenticated through information sharing with New York DMV,” the notice said. “We recognize that many New York residents and businesses will be negatively affected by this change, but we cannot compromise the safety and security of our homeland,” CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said in a statement. “When states take negative measures that hinder our ability to protect our great country, we must respond.”
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on Feb. 19 issued two frequently asked questions that provide guidance on U.S. people exporting defense services abroad. The FAQs clarify guidance for exporters who “believe they may be currently furnishing defense services without authorization,” DDTC said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released two new Frequently Asked Questions related to its reporting, procedures and penalties regulations (see 1906200036), according to a Feb. 20 notice. The FAQs provide updated instructions and “incorporate” new requirements for filing reports with OFAC on blocked property, unblocked property and rejected transactions.
The Treasury Department made several technical changes to the final regulations for the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (see 2001140060), which are intended to “improve the clarity of the rule,” the agency said in a notice. The corrections took effect Feb. 13 and the notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Feb. 18. The final FIRRMA regulations took effect Feb. 13 (see 2002110042).
California-based Alpha and Omega Semiconductor is being investigated by the Justice Department for export control violations relating to shipments to Huawei, the company said in a Feb. 5 press release. The company said it has been ordered by the Commerce Department to stop all shipments to Huawei and is working with the agency to “resolve this issue.” The semiconductor company has an export control compliance program in place and is committed “to comply fully” with U.S. export laws, but said it expects revenue hits due to penalties “incurred in connection with the investigation” and by the “Huawei shipment interruption.”
The State Department recently held a ship registry management and compliance standards symposium in Washington, D.C., to share recommendations to counter North Korean evasion of sanctions in the maritime arena, the agency said Feb. 11. The symposium gathered representatives from international ship registries, classification societies, foreign governments and industry to improve due diligence and inter-industry communications to stop Illegal North Korean shipping practices. The United Nations is expected to release a report next month alleging that North Korea continued to violate international sanctions last year -- specifically through illegal ship-to-ship transfers -- with China’s help (see 2002110016).
The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking comments on the impact of the Chemical Weapons Convention on “commercial activities” during 2019, BIS said in a notice. BIS said it is soliciting comments to help it prepare for its annual certification to Congress about whether “legitimate commercial activities” of chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms are banned by the CWC. Comments are due March 16.