President Joe Biden issued a memorandum requiring the State Department to obtain written assurances that recipients of U.S. foreign military aid will use those weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Upcoming know-your-customer rules for U.S. cloud service providers come with a new set of compliance risks, with providers potentially facing lability not just from the Commerce Department but also from U.S. sanctions authorities, Sidley Austin said in a client alert this month.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released its notifications to Congress of recently proposed export licenses. The notifications cover licenses submitted from January through March, April through June and July through September, and include exports to Japan, Australia, Israel, Brazil, Canada, the U.K., Ukraine, Turkey, Norway, Germany and elsewhere.
The Pentagon stands by its decision last week to add Hesai Technology to its 1260H List of Chinese military companies, an agency spokesperson said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking comments, due by April 9, on an information collection related to a request for appointment of a technical advisory committee. The collection describes the functions and responsibilities of the Commerce Department TACs, which "advise the government on proposed revisions to export control lists, licensing procedures, assessments of the foreign availability of controlled products, and export control regulations.”
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Poland worth $1.2 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Feb. 7. The sale includes “Airspace and Surface Radar Reconnaissance aerostat systems,” and the principal contractors will be Raytheon Intelligence and Space, TCOM, ELTA North America and Avantus Federal.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls made changes this week to its pending payment notification email message text. DDTC said the updates “clarify the instructions on how to proceed with making payments, ensuring a smoother and more user-friendly experience.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a proposed rule this week to amend the agency’s Defense Priorities and Allocations System regulation. Proposed changes include clarifying 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, and other technical edits. Public comments on the changes are due March 8.
The State Department approved two potential military sales to the Netherlands worth more than $1 billion combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said this month. The first sale includes $908 million worth of “Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The second sale includes $150 million worth of “Hellfire Missiles” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin.
The State Department approved a potential military sale to India worth $3.99 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Feb. 1. The sale includes “MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.