The State Department’s Defense Export Control and Compliance System's advisory opinions application will undergo system maintenance from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST Dec. 11, the agency said last week. Users should refresh their browser if they "experience any delays in the application," DDTC said.
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 by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued a final rule last week to temporarily modify a note within its aircraft-related export controls under Category VIII of the U.S. Munitions List.
A senior State Department official this week said the U.S. is planning to eventually include other nations in an ongoing effort to reduce burdensome defense export control requirements for Australia and the U.K. In perhaps the strongest endorsement yet by a U.S. official of the concept, Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary for arms control and international security, said the U.S. wants to involve other nations after it works through its current process under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued a reminder to industry that on Nov. 18 it officially migrated to the “FedRAMP High instance of a multifactor authentication solution” in its Defense Export Control and Compliance System to improve security (see 2310170005). All users who didn't log into DECCS before Nov, 18 will need to contact the DDTC Help Desk to have their account password reset, the agency said. "Once reset, users will be able to log into DECCS as normal."
Congress should order a review of U.S. semiconductor export controls against China and ask the administration to create a public database of entities connected to China’s military, which would help U.S. companies with their compliance practices, a congressional commission said this week. The bipartisan commission also said Congress should explore the idea of a single export licensing system to streamline export requirements overseen by both the Commerce and State departments.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has resolved an outage that impacted its customer service email address last week, the agency said, adding that it’s processing emails sent during the outage in the order they were received.
Australia last week unveiled proposed reforms to its export control requirements and penalties as it works to harmonize its defense trade regulations with the U.S. The proposals, which include a one-week public comment period, would establish an “export license-free environment” for certain defense and technology trade with the U.S. and the U.K. and criminalize certain violations of Australian export control requirements. The proposals specifically include a new “national exemption” from certain export permit requirements for parties from the U.S. and the U.K., Australia said.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is seeking public comments on an information collection related to requests for advisory opinions. DDTC said exporters and others can request an advisory opinion from DDTC to determine whether the agency would likely grant a license for the export of a particular defense article or defense service, or to ask DDTC to interpret other requirements under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Public comments are due Dec. 11.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls sent a proposed rule for interagency review that could amend certain language in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The rule, sent for review Nov. 5, would specifically make revisions to definitions and export controls related to defense services.