The State Department issued three technical corrections to the Cuba Restricted List, in a notice.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls rescheduled its In-House Seminar from Sept. 18 to Oct. 9 due to scheduling conflicts, the DDTC said in an Aug. 22 notice. DDTC is extending registration for an additional week, but remains "first-come, first-served." Questions should be directed to DDTCInHouseSeminars@state.gov.

The State Department approved the potential sale of $8 billion worth of defense-related goods to Taiwan, the Defense Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Aug. 20 press release. The sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office includes 66 F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft, engines, radars, computers, “multipurpose launchers” and other military products. The sale serves U.S. national interests by supporting Taiwan’s military to help it “maintain a credible defensive capability,” the press release said.

The Senate will likely confirm Tom Feddo as a top official for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., a “positive and timely development” for companies involved in foreign investment compliance, according to an Aug. 19 post from Arent Fox. Feddo is expected to be named the first assistant secretary of the Treasury for investment security. The position was created in 2018 to increase the authority of CFIUS when it enacted the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, the post said.

In preparation for a public hearing on China's compliance with its World Trade Organization commitments, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments at regulations,gov, docket number is USTR-2019-0010. Comments and requests to testify are due by midnight EDT Sept. 18, The hearing will be held Oct. 2 by the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee at 1724 F Street NW, Washington, D.C., beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The White House said it is continuing the national emergency related to U.S. export control regulations, according to an Aug. 14 press release. The emergency is being continued because there is still an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy” of the U.S., the White House said. The emergency is being extended for one year. It was first declared Aug. 17, 2001.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments to inform its annual congressional report on Russia’s implementation of obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization, the USTR said in a notice the Aug. 14 Federal Register. The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee, chaired by the USTR, will hold a public hearing on Oct. 8. Written comments and requests to speak at the hearing are due Sept. 27.

The trade aid was too generous to the richest farming families, suggests Rep. Ron Kind, a Democrat who represents a rural district in Wisconsin. Kind sent a letter Aug. 12 to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue saying he is deeply concerned about a report that shows that thousands of payments were larger than the stated limit, with 82 farms receiving payments of more than half a million dollars in taxpayer funds. He also cited the same study using U.S. Department of Agriculture data that found some payments went to people who do not reside on farms, but live in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and the like.

The International Chamber of Commerce is preparing to eliminate the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) rule in its September publishing of revised incoterms, requiring e-commerce traders to update contracts with third-party providers, according to a recent report from PircewaterhouseCoopers. Incoterms (international commercial terms) are internationally recognized trade terms used in global trade contracts.

The State Department approved a potential sale to South Korea of about $800 million worth of defense-related goods, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Aug. 7 press release. The sale includes MH-60R helicopters equipped with radars, sonar systems, targeting systems, GPS navigation systems, guns and more, the press release said. The sale also includes radios, transponders, personnel training and U.S. support services.