The leaders of the House Select Committee on China criticized California-based Lam Research Feb. 10 for not providing documents the panel requested as part of its ongoing investigation on firms that sell semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
Canada announced new sanctions this week against two military officials with the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, the two groups locked in monthslong fighting over control of the country. The designations target Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, an RSF major and procurement director, and Mirghani Idris Suleiman, an SAF general. Canada said both officials are linked to the violence against civilians and other human rights violations in Sudan. Both have been sanctioned by the U.S. (see 2410240006 and 2410080018).
The U.S., the U.K. and Australia this week sanctioned Zservers, a Russia-based internet infrastructure service provider, for supporting Russian ransomware attacks, the Treasury Department said. Treasury said Zservers specifically aids Russia-based LockBit, which the U.S. has called one of the world’s most active ransomware groups (see 2405070020).
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a correction this week to its January interim final rule that created new lists of trusted chip designers and service providers; imposed a broader, worldwide license requirement for chip foundries and packaging companies shipping certain advanced chips captured by Export Control Classification Number 3A090; and made other updates to its existing chip export controls (see 2501150040). The correction, effective Feb. 11, revises 3A090 to correct that ECCN's license requirement.
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EU lawmakers and the European Commission offered a strong rebuke this week of the U.S.’s latest export controls on advanced artificial intelligence chips, saying the restrictions could slow European AI technology innovation and set unfair buying restrictions across member states.
Julie Edelstein, the former acting principal deputy chief of DOJ's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, has joined the Wiggin and Dana law firm as a partner focused on national security, export controls and white-collar issues. Edelstein, who left DOJ last month, served as coordinator of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a joint group created by DOJ, the Commerce Department and other agencies to pool resources toward investigations of trade violations involving critical technologies (see 2411250027 and 2302160019).
Sohan Dasgupta has joined DHS as assistant secretary for trade and economic security, he announced on LinkedIn. Dasgupta will work on issues related to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, along with other trade and supply chain issues. He previously served as a DHS deputy general counsel before going to a private practice in 2021.
A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge on Feb. 6 dismissed U.S. importer CertiFit’s complaint against New Jersey-based Evergreen Shipping Agency, saying Evergreen Shipping is not an ocean carrier regulated by the FMC. Evergreen Shipping is instead an agent for carrier Evergreen Line, which is not a party in the case, the judge said. CertiFit had accused Evergreen Shipping of failing to meet its commitments in violation of the Shipping Act (see 2401230051). Evergreen Shipping denied the allegations.
Double Ace Cargo, a Florida-based non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC), has paid $165,000 in civil penalties and is paying for an independent monitoring of its business practices under two compromise agreements it reached with the Federal Maritime Commission over the past nearly two years, the FMC announced Feb. 7.