A former State Department analyst on export control and sanctions evasion under President Joe Biden and a former National Security Council director for China under President George W. Bush agreed that the Bureau of Industry and Security's 50% rule was not fully thought through before its announcement.
Todd Willis, a former U.S. export control official, has joined KPMG's export controls and sanctions consulting practice, the firm announced this week. Willis was the director of the BIS Munitions Control Division before serving as the deputy director of the Export Enforcement Coordination Center during 2016-18. He was most recently a global trade adviser with manufacturing company Caterpillar.
Laura DiBella and Robert Harvey, President Donald Trump’s nominees for the Federal Maritime Commission, told lawmakers Oct. 22 that if confirmed, they would vigorously enforce the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association said it's "deeply concerned" about potential disruptions to European vehicle manufacturing stemming from a trade dispute over Chinese-owned Dutch semiconductor firm Nexperia, especially "if the interruption of Nexperia chips supplies cannot be immediately resolved."
The EU is abandoning a plan announced last month that would have postponed its new deforestation reporting requirements for one year, instead granting a six-month grace period for certain companies.
The success of the Trump administration's AI export plan depends on how fast the U.S. can export its AI technology around the world and whether the project allows the U.S. to strengthen relationships with allies, said Pablo Chavez, an adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security's Technology and National Security Program.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a TV reporter that he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were leaving for Malaysia on Oct. 22, to hold trade talks with their Chinese counterparts.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack called on Congress on Oct. 20 to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, saying the 2019 law “served its moral purpose against the previous, treacherous [Bashar] Assad regime but now suffocates a nation seeking to rebuild.”
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved several bills by voice vote Oct. 22 that could lead to additional sanctions on China and Russia.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., introduced a bill Oct. 21 that would impose property-blocking sanctions on Nigerian officials who permit or promote the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. His legislation, which was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees, is a companion to a Senate bill that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced in September (see 2509120001).