Retired trade attorney Terry Stewart blogged about the eight candidates under consideration for the World Trade Organization director-general position in a post published July 19. He summarized the press conferences held to feature each one in Geneva.
Rich Ashooh, the Commerce Department’s former assistant secretary for export administration who resigned July 16 (see 2007020027), joined semiconductor equipment maker Lam Research Corp. as their global head of government affairs. In a statement, the company said Ashooh will bring a “sophisticated understanding of the policy process” and is respected across the industry. “His track record of solving complex problems and engaging diverse stakeholders makes him an ideal partner to advocate on behalf of Lam Research,” the company said. The announcement was first reported by Reuters.
CBP will extend its travel restrictions on the northern and southern borders through Aug. 20, it said in a two notices released July 21. The travel restrictions were to expire July 21 (see 2006220016). The travel bans do not apply to cargo, and exempt crossing the border from Canada or Mexico to work in the U.S.
India revised its export procedures for approvals and shipments of certain personal protective equipment, the country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said July 20. The measure revises a previous notice that set a monthly export quota for medical coveralls (see 2007010006) by outlining new “eligibility criteria” for the exports, including required documents and limits on the number of applications that can be submitted per month. India said export licenses will be valid for three months.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls notified industry of a newly added category in the agency’s DS-6004 reexport/retransfer application, a notice issued July 20 said. DDTC said it added an “'other' category” to Block 4” of the application, which should be selected by companies submitting general correspondence requests related to mergers and acquisitions, entity name or address changes, registration code changes, U.S. persons providing defense services abroad, end-use or end-user change requests; and amendments to existing general correspondence approvals.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to reflect recent changes made by the United Nations to its Central African Republic arms embargo (see 2007200005 and 1909170054), a notice released July 21 said. The change, effective July 22, allows for more exemptions for certain exports to the region. DDTC also specified that “no broker … may engage in” CAR-related brokering activities subject to the ITAR without agency approval. The notice also makes two technical edits to ITAR language.
A Lebanese national was sentenced to 42 months in prison for conspiring to illegally export U.S. drone parts and technology to Hezbollah, the Justice Department said July 20. Usama Darwich Hamade violated the international Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Export Administration Regulations, the Arms Export Controls Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations when he tried to illegally export a range of U.S.-origin items, including “inertial measurement units,” digital compasses, a jet engine, piston engines and recording binoculars. During an investigation, the Justice Department said the U.S. discovered Hezbollah was the “ultimate beneficiary” of the exports.
Three Republican lawmakers urged the White House to do more to sanction China-backed cyber attackers who steal U.S. intellectual property. In a July 20 letter, Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; Greg Walden, R-Ore.; and Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said Chinese hackers are more frequently targeting U.S. agencies to try to steal information and public health data related to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
Michael Nemelka, the nominee for deputy U.S. trade representative, said that the first case under USMCA could begin in the fall, if consultations with Canada or Mexico fail. Nemelka, who currently works as a special adviser to the USTR, said that they are reviewing complaints this month. After that, staff will consult with the congressional committees of jurisdiction about which complaints would make the best cases. Then a consultation process would begin.
The Census Bureau published a July 21 blog post about U.S.-Puerto Rico shipping regulations, detailing when exporters must file Electronic Export Information in the Automated Export System. The post covers filing requirements for shipping routes that include the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico and a foreign country. The Commerce Department is working on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to remove certain EEI filing requirements for exporters shipping goods to Puerto Rico (see 2006030043).