Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill Nov. 20 that aims to protect American companies that are sued in federal court for complying with U.S. sanctions and export controls against Russia.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls last month updated its list of commodity jurisdiction determinations for items and services controlled under the U.S. Munitions List. The new determinations cover certain batteries, a life raft, a system to disrupt drones, ammunition, a microwave instrument and more.
The Council on Governmental Relations, an organization of more than 200 U.S. research universities, released new guidance that outlines the major federal regulations governing research security, including export control rules, guardrails for sensitive information transfers, foreign investment restrictions and more. The 25-page document highlights both "policy expectations and practical considerations for integrating research security" into university activities. It's aimed at helping "technology transfer professionals balance their universities’ longstanding commitment to open scientific exchange with increasing federal requirements to safeguard sensitive research outputs, including materials, data, and intellectual property, from unauthorized access, diversion, or foreign exploitation."
The Trump administration's November designation of Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally is set to streamline requirements related to direct commercial sales of defense articles, especially space-related activities subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, DLA Piper said in a client alert.
The Bureau of Industry and Security shouldn't expect freight forwarders and logistics providers to carry out the same level of 50% rule due-diligence as exporters, which have much more visibility into the products being shipped and are better positioned to make sure they comply with the new regulations, logistics companies and trade groups told BIS in public comments released this month.
The European Parliament this week voted 402-250 -- with eight abstentions -- in favor of delaying the bloc's deforestation reporting requirements for one year, which would give large companies until Dec. 30, 2026, to come into compliance and small companies until June 30, 2027.
The U.K. on Nov. 26 opened a public comment period for its planned elimination of duty exemptions for low-value imports. The country for several months had been reviewing whether to remove the tariff exemption for imports costing under 135 pounds, and the finance ministry said it expects to eliminate the exemption by March 2029 "at the latest."
The European Anti-Fraud Office and Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, announced a new initiative this month to tackle Russia- and Belarus-related sanctions evasion, especially illegal exports of vehicles. The joint effort, called Project Transporter, aims to better support EU member states investigating potential sanctions breaches while bringing together expert investigators from the law enforcement community -- especially customs, police and financial crimes investigators -- to probe vehicle exports to Russia and Belarus.
The State Department this week approved a possible $200 million military sale to the U.K. for "Navy Multiband Terminals" and related equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The principal contractor will be RTX.
The U.S. should use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to sanction those responsible for China's recent increase in religious repression, witnesses told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China Nov. 20.