The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security said the Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee (SITAC) scheduled a partially open meeting April 30 in Washington. The public session will include an remarks from BIS management and industry presentations. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. To join via teleconference, submit inquiries by April 23 to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov. A limited number of seats will also be available for in-person attendance at the public session.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is looking for candidates for its seven Technical Advisory Committees, the agency said in a notice. "Industry representatives are selected from firms producing a broad range of items currently controlled for national security, nonproliferation, foreign policy, and short supply reasons or that are proposed for such controls," BIS said. "Representation from the private sector is balanced to the extent possible among large and small firms." Six of the TACs advise the Commerce Department on the "technical parameters for export controls and the administration of those controls within specified areas." The other TAC "focuses on the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and procedures for implementing the EAR." TAC members can serve a term of up to four consecutive years and must obtain secret-level clearances prior to appointment, BIS said. Resumes should be sent to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security denied export privileges to Mohan Nirala on March 25, BIS said in a notice. Nirala was convicted in 2017 for violations of the Espionage Act after having unauthorized possession of classified documents, BIS said. The denial of export privileges will last for 10 years from the date of the conviction -- that is, until March 13, 2027, BIS said.
Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security denied export privileges to Arnoldo Arredondo on March 25, BIS said in a notice. Arredondo was convicted in 2017 for conspiring in the export of rifles to Mexico that "were designated as defense articles on the United States Munitions List, without the required U.S. Department of State licenses," BIS said. The denial of export privileges will last for 10 years from the date of the conviction -- that is, until Nov. 28, 2027, BIS said.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security said the Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) scheduled a partially open meeting April 2 in Washington. The public session will include an export enforcement update, regulations update, working group reports, an Automated Export System (AES) update, and presentations of papers or comments by the public. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. To join via teleconference, submit inquiries by March 26 to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov. A limited number of seats will also be available for the public session.
The Bureau of Industry and Security seeks comments on the burden of its collection of information on defense offset agreements, it said in a notice. By law, U.S. companies must tell Commerce about offset agreements worth more than $5,000,000 associated with sales of weapons defense equipment to foreign countries or firms. Offsets, which are “required by most major trading partners when purchasing U.S. military equipment,” are industrial or commercial compensation practices in sales of defense articles or services under the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms regulations. Comments on the burden and ways to improve the information collection are due May 13.
During a March 11 program billed as an information session on upcoming export controls on emerging technologies, Department of Commerce officials were unable to give in-depth details, pointing to delays caused by the recent partial federal government shutdown and an overwhelming number of public comments.
The Bureau of Industry and Security and the State Department seek comments by April 22 to inform its review of recently revised export controls on launch vehicles and spacecraft, they said in two separate notices. Conducted as part of their work on the National Space Council, the agencies seek input on how to streamline controls for the commercial space industry, particularly in light of recent moves from U.S. Munitions List Categories IV and XV to the dual use Commerce Control List.
The Bureau of Industry and Security needs access to the State Department’s internal screening list once export controls on many firearms, artillery and ammunition are transferred from State to BIS, the Government Accountability Office said in a March 1 report. State has compiled years of information on illegitimate and bad actors in its watch list, and BIS may “lack critical information needed to effectively screen license applicants for firearms and related exports” once the transfers are finalized if it can’t get access, the report said.