The Bureau of Industry and Security is allowing for another 30 days of public comments on an information collection related to declarations to the Chemical Weapons Convention. BIS previously asked for feedback on the information collection in March (see 2503060007). Each CWC member must make “initial and annual declarations on certain facilities” that produce, import or export certain toxic chemicals and their precursors, and facilities subject to inspection by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons must also submit certain information.

Former airline executive Skye Xu was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide of more than $32 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on May 15. Xu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, introduced joint resolutions of disapproval May 15 aimed at blocking $1.4 billion in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates. The lawmakers said the UAE is fueling Sudan’s civil war by providing weapons to the Rapid Support Forces militia, which is fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (see 2505130008).

Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and John Curtis, R-Utah, introduced a bill May 14 that would require the president to determine whether certain judges and other officials in Hong Kong violated human rights and should face sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act or the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a bill May 15 that would put China’s Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) back on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List.

To deter an invasion of Taiwan, the U.S. government should make it clear it will inflict “economic pain” on China if Beijing launches an attack, a researcher told the House Select Committee on China May 15.

The U.S. and Switzerland agreed this month to better share sanctions enforcement information, according to a memorandum of understanding released last week. The memorandum, signed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, said they "express their intention to share information related to the monitoring, enforcement, and promotion of compliance with sanctions measures in force on both sides."

The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week removed a former Lebanon-based small business owner from its Specially Designated Nationals List after he sued the Treasury Department over his designation in December, arguing that OFAC unfairly delayed a decision on his delisting request.

Seven Senate and House Democrats issued a joint statement May 16 criticizing the Trump administration’s reported new AI agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, saying the deals don't have “credible security assurances” to prevent U.S. “adversaries” from accessing advanced American chips.

The U.S. government needs more exemptions for close allies to quickly buy controlled defense items and weapons, both under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Foreign Military Sales program, witnesses and lawmakers said during a congressional hearing on defense exports last week. Without significant ITAR and FMS reform, several lawmakers said they fear more countries will source more of their defense purchases from other countries, including potentially China.