The Bureau of Industry and Security will amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) Dec. 23 to add the new military end-user list (see 2012210047), consisting of 103 entities subject to export licensing requirements, the agency said in a Dec. 22 notice. Licenses will be required to export, reexport or transfer certain items described in the EAR that are subject to military end-use (MEU) or end-user licensing requirements. A BIS spokesperson said the 102 cited in the notice is a typo.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is establishing an industry working group to receive regular feedback on the Defense Export Controls and Compliance System, DDTC said Dec. 14. The agency said it is looking for 50 industry volunteers for the DECCS “User Group,” which will “identify functional and technical challenges” with DECCS and recommend system improvements. The group’s first virtual meeting is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2021. DDTC said the “initial plan is for the User Group to span one calendar year.” Applicants should email PM_DDTCProjectTeam@state.gov with their name and affiliation by Dec. 23. The agency said it will choose members by Jan. 11.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls Dec. 14 issued guidance on the recently imposed U.S. sanctions against Turkey, detailing how it will implement various export restrictions. DDTC said it will not approve “any specific license or authorization” for exports or reexports for transactions where Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) is a party, including for “defense articles,” technical data or defense services. While the restrictions do not apply to “temporary import authorizations” or current and valid reexport authorizations, they do apply to all new export and reexport authorizations, DDTC said. That includes “amendments to previously approved licenses or agreements and licenses in furtherance of previously approved agreements.”
The Commerce Department published its fall 2020 regulatory agenda for the Bureau of Industry and Security, including new mentions of rules to amend Hong Kong under the Export Administration Regulations, releases of controlled technologies to standards setting bodies and a range of new technology controls.
The State Department is extending two International Traffic in Arms Regulations measures to allow employees involved in certain ITAR-related activities to work remotely (see 2004240017) as the agency seeks to make the changes permanent, a notice released Dec. 10 said. The notice continues a temporary exception to the ITAR to allow employees to telework, including employees working remotely in a country “not currently authorized” by a technical assistance agreement, manufacturing license agreement or an exemption. The exceptions do not apply to employees working in certain blocked countries, including Russia.
The State Department is circulating a proposed rule that would permanently revise the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to allow employees involved in ITAR-related activities to work remotely. To make the change, the rule would update the definition of a “regular employee” in ITAR, which would allow for greater flexibility for industry workers who telework, a State Department official said in a Dec. 9 email. The proposed rule was sent for interagency review last week (see 2012080011).
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs began reviewing a proposed State Department rule concerning the definition of a regular employee in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. OIRA received the rule Dec. 3. The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls didn’t comment.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will hold a webinar Dec. 9 on using the Defense Export Control Compliance System licensing application, DDTC said in a Nov. 26 notice, which includes login information. The webinar also will cover the state of DECCS, system statistics and a self-service tools demonstration.
The State Department is seeking comments on an information collection involving requests to change end-user, end-use and “destination of hardware” information, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 27. Those requests are submitted to the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls before DDTC can approve exports of certain defense goods to parties other than those stated on a license. Comments are due Dec. 28.
The State Department announced penalties on foreign entities for illegal transfers under the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act. The entities transferred items subject to multilateral control lists that contribute to weapons proliferation or missile production, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 24. The entities are: China-based Chengdu Best New Materials Co. Ltd. and Zibo Elim Trade Co.; and Russia-based Aviazapchast, Joint Stock Company Elecon and the Nilco Group. The companies and their subsidiaries are barred from purchasing items controlled on the U.S. Munitions List and by the Arms Export Control Act. The State Department will also suspend any current export licenses used by the companies and bar them from receiving new export licenses for any goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations. Government agencies are barred from entering into procurement contracts with them. The measures took effect Nov. 6.