The Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination for Landon Heid to be the assistant secretary for export administration at the Bureau of Industry and Security. Steven Haines is serving in that role on an interim basis as he awaits Senate confirmation as assistant secretary for industry and analysis within the International Trade Administration, according to a BIS official. Spokespeople for BIS and the White House didn't respond to requests for comment.

The president of Mexico has introduced a bill increasing tariffs on goods from countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement, including China. The measure would bring most tariffs to a rate of 35%, with some as high as 50%.

The State Department this week approved a possible $1.07 billion military sale to Finland, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The sale includes "AIM-120D-3 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles" and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be RTX.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Sept. 10 that he’s working to increase support for his bill to require the executive branch to designate the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee unveiled legislation Sept. 10 that would consolidate the State Department’s sanctions activities into a new Sanctions Policy Bureau.

The House Appropriations Committee voted 34-28 Sept. 10 to approve a FY 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill that would provide $303 million for the Bureau of Industry and Security, up 59% from the FY 2025 enacted level. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science approved the bill in July (see 2507150089).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week to authorize certain transactions with Belavia Belarusian Airlines, the state-owned flagship carrier of Belarus, which was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 (see 2308090025). General License No. 11 authorizes certain transactions with the airline -- and any entity it owns by 50% or more -- that would normally be prohibited by the Belarus Sanctions Regulations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned more than 30 people, entities and vessels tied to the Iranian-backed Houthis. OFAC said the designations target companies and key Houthi "operatives" in Yemen, China, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands who are helping to fundraise, smuggle and procure weapons for the Houthis.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., announced Sept. 11 that they are introducing a bill to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism until it returns more than 19,000 children it abducted during its invasion of Ukraine.

Although Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. have taken steps to ease defense trade restrictions, companies are still being cautious because progress around AUKUS appears to have stalled, researchers and U.K. lawmakers said this week. They also said it’s still too early for the three nations to invite other countries to join, adding that they need to first prove that the concept works among themselves.