Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., urged the Biden administration Dec. 19 to give China’s ByteDance more time to comply with the law that requires the company to divest TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a U.S. ban on the popular social media application.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., reintroduced a bill Dec. 19 to prohibit gasoline exports during periods of high gas prices, with the goal of boosting domestic supply to lower prices. The bill was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Khanna previously introduced the bill in October 2022, defining high prices as a national average of $3.12 per gallon or more for a week.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced a bill Dec. 20 to sanction Turkey if it doesn't renew a recently expired ceasefire between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Canada this week criticized Beijing’s recent decision to sanction two Canadian civil society organizations and human rights activists (see 2412230058), saying the measures were designed to “punish them for speaking out for human rights.” China sanctioned the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project in Canada and the Canada-Tibet Committee, among others, days after Canada imposed its own sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights violations (see 2412110016).
DHS Homeland Security Investigations made 1,512 seizures for violations of export laws and regulations in FY 2024, an almost identical pace to 2023, according to the division's annual report, released last week. The Export Enforcement Coordination Center also uncovered 49 investigative leads that helped prevent procurement of sensitive U.S. technologies.
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued several corrections to its September rule that outlined new export controls on certain advanced technologies, including quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing and 3D printing technology (see 2409050028). The corrections, released Dec. 26 and effective Dec. 27, clarify a reference to quantum items eligible for a deemed export and deemed reexport exclusion, fix several “inadvertent errors” involving citations, and more.
Physical mechanisms built into AI hardware could represent a “promising new tool” to help the U.S. better control exports of sensitive technologies, including to China, the Center for a New American Security said in a new report this month.
The State Department approved three possible military sales to Egypt, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. One sale includes a $30 million “Precision Kill Weapon System” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be BAE Systems. Another includes $630 million worth of “Hellfire AGM-114R Missiles”; the principal contractor, Lockheed Martin. A third sale involves $4.69 billion worth of “Abrams Tank Refurbishment, Support, and Equipment, and related equipment”; the tank contractor, General Dynamics Land Systems.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said users may experience delayed responses from its Response Team and Help Desk when the government reopens after observing federal holidays over the next week. “Due to the closure and depending on volume of inquires received, responses may be delayed through the following week,” the agency said Dec. 24. “The processing of classified provisos for delivery may also be delayed.” The Response Team and Help desk will reopen Dec. 26 at 8 a.m. EST and Jan. 2 at 8 a.m. EST following the Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 federal holidays.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed a nationwide injunction of the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements on Dec. 23, temporarily lifting a recent federal court order that was set to block the rules from taking effect for most companies Jan. 1 (see 2412090065).