The Bureau of Industry and Security is adding 32 entities to the Entity List for either circumventing export controls on China, supplying controlled items to Russia, evading BIS end-use checks or other activities that BIS said breached U.S. export rules. The additions include 23 entities located in China, along with others based in India, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, the agency said in a final rule released and effective Sept. 12. They will be subject to license requirements for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, and licenses will be reviewed under a presumption of denial or policy of denial.
Norway is launching a new export licensing system on Sept. 25 that it's expecting will improve the "user experience," the Norwegian Agency for Export Control and Sanctions said this week, according to an unofficial translation. The new system will feature new templates for licenses, the agency said, "and a decision letter with information will accompany each license." It also will make it "easier" for users to manage licenses for more than one company if they "represent multiple businesses and enterprises," allow users "access to new case types such as sanctions and sanctions reporting and general transfer licenses," and improve communication between the government and license applicants through SMS notifications.
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit this week updated its guidance for its end-user and stockist undertaking form, which must be completed by the end user or stockist of the exported items if they're sent under a standard individual export license, a standard individual trade control license or a license to provide technical assistance. The U.K. specifically updated its definition for "ultimate end-user," which is the entity that "receives and uses the final items from the end-user or intermediate user," including if the items have been altered, processed, installed or incorporated into another item, or after they have been held in stock or interim storage. "The end-user and ultimate end-user can be different entities but are not always," the agency said.
The EU is planning new sanctions against Russia, Israel and human-smuggling networks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her state of the union speech this week.
The European Parliament on Sept. 10 gave its final approval for a revised carbon border adjustment mechanism that it said will exempt 90% of European importers from the new rules. The change, first unveiled by the European Commission in a May proposal (see 2505230008 and 2506180053), aims to “reduce the administrative burden” for smaller and mid-sized European companies, or those that are “occasional importers,” the Parliament said.
U.S. and EU officials met in Washington this week for the 13th U.S.-EU Space Dialogue, where they discussed "reducing barriers to trade and commerce in the space sector," among other issues, the State Department said. The two sides spoke about the need to "pursue fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade and investment." The meetings also included a roundtable with U.S. industry officials.
Gregory Munoz, a salesperson for a Massachusetts biochemical company that DOJ said was part of an illegal export scheme involving China, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000. DOJ said Munoz pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., introduced a bill Sept. 9 that would authorize the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review and block foreign purchases of American real estate located near critical infrastructure, including drinking water facilities.
The House of Representatives passed legislation Sept. 9 that could lead to greater scrutiny of dual-use exports to China.
Two Republican senators took to the Senate floor this week to reiterate their support for increasing sanctions on Russia to pressure it to end its war against Ukraine.