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 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 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 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.
The State Department updated its Cuba Restricted List to add one subentity and its alias, the agency said in a notice released Sept. 28. The list now includes American International Services (alias AIS Remesas), a subentity of Corporacion CIMEX S.A. The change takes effect Sept. 29. Entities on the Cuba Restricted List are generally subject to export restrictions by the Commerce Department.
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking comments on an information collection relating to anti-money laundering due diligence programs for banks, FinCEN said in a notice released Sept. 28. The collection relates to regulations for banks to “detect and report” money laundering involving correspondent accounts created by foreign financial institutions. The agency is proposing to renew the information collection without change. Comments are due Nov. 30. According to the notice, “Although no changes are proposed to the information collection itself, this request for comments covers a future expansion of the scope of the annual hourly burden and cost estimate associated with these regulations.”
The State Department approved potential military sales to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands worth more than $640 million combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Sept. 24. Under the proposed sales, the U.K. would get “C-17 aircraft Contractor Logistics Support” and related equipment worth about $400 million. The prime contractor is Boeing. The sale to the Netherlands includes 34 “Patriot Advanced Capability‑3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles” and related equipment for about $240 million. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor.