The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Oct. 17 rejected both the government’s and law firm Husch Blackwell’s motions for judgment in a Freedom of Information Act dispute involving the Entity List. It gave the Commerce Department time to provide adequate justifications for its decisions to withhold certain information but said the ones it already provided weren’t enough (Husch Blackwell v. Department of Commerce, D.D.C. # 24-2733.
China’s recently issued rare earth export controls were likely a response to the Commerce Department’s 50% rule for the Entity List and highlighted the ongoing communication issues between the two sides, said David Sacks, the White House’s AI policy adviser.
U.S. export controls on design technology for advanced computing chips have spurred China to speed up pursuing its own capabilities, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has informed U.S.-based Arrow Electronics that it will soon remove several of Arrow’s China-based affiliates from the Entity List, the electronics parts supplier said this week.
China's Foreign Ministry this week objected to the Netherlands' takeover of Chinese-owned semiconductor firm Nexperia, saying China "opposes overstretching the concept of national security and discriminatory moves against companies in certain countries." According to an unofficial translation, a ministry spokesperson said during an Oct. 15 press conference that "the relevant country should abide by market principles and refrain from politicizing trade issues. China is firmly resolved in safeguarding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests."
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
President Donald Trump, on his way to Israel, softened his message on tariffs on Chinese goods. When asked if imposing those tariffs was still the plan, he said, "Right now it is. Let's see what happens. November 1st is an eternity."
The Dutch government’s seizure of semiconductor firm Nexperia came amid U.S. pressure for the Netherlands to intervene in the company’s affairs, court records show. The U.S., in conversation with the Netherlands, cited the firm’s Chinese ownership and the fact that it was set to soon be captured by Entity List restrictions, including those under the Bureau of Industry and Security’s new 50% rule.
Beijing this week announced a host of new export license requirements for shipments of rare earths, superhard materials and related equipment, including new rules to restrict overseas exports if they contain certain levels of Chinese-origin materials. The country’s Ministry of Commerce also added more than a dozen companies to its Unreliable Entity List for arms sales to Taiwan or for other actions that it said hurt Chinese companies or the country’s “sovereignty” or security.
The Bureau of Industry and Security added 29 entities to the Entity List, including three addresses, for either helping to illegally supply U.S.-origin items to Iran or for their ties to Iranian procurement networks, BIS said in a final rule released and effective Oct. 8. BIS said the entities supplied or diverted aircraft parts, drone components, electronic items and other products to Iran, including to Iranian companies already on the Entity List or the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals List.