The Bureau of Industry and Security extended the public comment period for an information collection involving rated orders under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System. The system is used to prioritize national defense contracts and orders to support the U.S. military or “emergency preparedness,” and in some cases, provide military or critical infrastructure assistance to foreign nations. BIS is allowing for an additional 30 days of public comments following the publication of the notice on the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website.

The Bureau of Industry and Security completed a round of interagency review for a proposed rule that could make clarifications and updates to the Defense Priorities and Allocations System Regulation, which is used to prioritize certain defense-related contracts and orders. BIS sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Oct. 17, and the review was completed Jan. 8.

USDA is accepting applications from exporters for its upcoming trade mission to India, the agency's Foreign Agricultural Service said this week. The April 22-25 trade mission will feature meetings with Indian importers, market briefings on the region, “relevant” site visits in New Delhi and opportunities to speak with USDA officials.

The FDA this week alerted industry about changes to its Export Listing Module for applications related to seafood exports to Saudi Arabia.

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network began accepting beneficial ownership information reports Jan. 1 as part of its new BOI reporting requirements, which are designed to help the government prevent sanctioned parties and others from hiding money or property in the U.S. FinCEN last week released a notice that outlines reporting deadlines for new and existing companies and what information must be submitted. The agency also released a set of frequently asked questions to provide guidance on the new reporting requirements, including who is responsible for filing and how FinCEN will enforce the requirements.

The Commerce Department announced on Jan. 4 that it has agreed to provide about $162 million to Microchip Technology under the Chips Act to nearly triple semiconductor production at the company’s facilities in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Gresham, Oregon.

The State Department approved a potential $147.5 million military sale to Israel, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Dec. 29. The sale includes “M107 155mm projectiles” and related equipment, which will be provided from U.S. Army stock.

The State Department this week announced another military assistance package for Ukraine, providing up to $250 million of arms and equipment under previously directed drawdowns. The package includes air defense munitions, air defense system components, more ammunition for "high mobility artillery rocket systems," 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, anti-armor munitions and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition.

The Fish and Wildlife Service released a final rule Dec. 28 listing the black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), a pelagic seabird species that nests on the island of Hispaniola and spends the rest of its life at sea, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Jan. 29.

The Commerce Department clarified this week that companies can’t use Chips Act funding to invest in certain new semiconductor facilities in China and other countries of concern, saying some companies may have thought the rules blocked only certain investments in existing facilities.