The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked the export privileges of a Chilton, Wisconsin, man after he was convicted Dec. 13, 2019, of violating the Arms Export Control Act, the agency said in a September order. Andy Lloyd Huebschmann was convicted of illegally exporting defense articles to Australia, BIS said, including a “Model GA 9mm lower receiver, upper receiver, barrel, trigger control group, bolt carrier, and pistol grip,” all controlled under the U.S. Munitions List. BIS said Huebschmann didn’t have the required State Department export license to ship the items. He was sentenced to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $15,000 criminal fine and a $100 “assessment.” BIS revoked Huebschmann’s export privileges for 10 years from the date of conviction.
The State Department will amend its existing Exchange Visitor Program regulations to change the way it “may accomplish service of a notice to a sponsor” that is subject to a U.S. sanctions action, the agency said Sept. 13. The change, which takes effect Oct. 14, will allow the State Department to email designated sponsors under the program that are subject to a sanction. Previously, the agency said it could communicate with the sponsor only through physical mail and certain other means, adding that the regulations hadn’t expanded these communication methods in more than 30 years.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 13 amended two Russia-related entries on its Specially Designated Nationals List. The entries are for Russia’s 27th Scientific Center and the 33rd Scientific Research and Testing Institute, both of which were sanctioned in March in response to the Russian government’s poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny (see 2103020067).
The Bureau of Industry and Security completed an interagency review Sept. 10 of a rule that would make changes to its Strategic Trade Authorization license exception. The proposed rule, sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs June 13 (see 2107150004), would clarify the availability and expand restrictions on the availability of license exception STA under the Export Administration Regulations. BIS withdrew a similar rule from consideration last year to allow for more informal talks within the interagency (see 2011130008).
Despite recent steps by the White House and the Federal Maritime Commission to address supply chain issues hampering agricultural exporters, the problems are worsening, trade groups said this week. Carriers are increasingly declining or canceling export bookings, ship delays are backlogging orders by months and agricultural exporters are seeing steep drops in revenue due to continually rising container costs, 76 trade associations said.
The United Kingdom's Export Control Joint Unit conducted a review and reassessment of all the individual licenses authorizing direct or indirect supply of controlled items to Afghanistan, the Department for International Trade said. An undisclosed number of these licenses were found to no longer be consistent with the Consolidated European Union and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria and were subsequently revoked. The licensees were notified, DIT said Sept. 10.
The European Commission released a fact sheet Sept. 9 titled, “Emerging Technologies Developments in the Context of Dual-Use Export Controls.” The publication is a compilation of fact sheets that cover topics addressed in the five workshops for member states held 2019-20 on emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, special materials, advanced semiconductors and hypersonics. After the workshops, each relevant emerging technology had a fact sheet developed for it.
European sanctions “targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” will be extended another six months, until March 15, 2022, the European Council said Sept. 10. Existing restrictions include travel bans, asset freezes and a ban on making funds available to listed individuals and entities; they apply to 177 individuals and 48 entities. Measures were first imposed in March 2014.
The Treasury Department should add Chinese technology company Tuya to its Non-Specially Designated National Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List, three Republican senators said. Tuya poses a “national security threat” to the U.S. because of its “significant control” over the international internet-connected market, or Internet of Things, which potentially gives it access to sensitive data on Americans, the senators said in a Sept. 9 letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. They also said Tuya operates under the Chinese government.
The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the acting head of the Bureau of Industry and Security misrepresented facts in front of a congressional commission last week (see 2109080062), saying he wasn't straightforward about the agency’s “delayed and incomplete” provision of export licensing decisions to Congress. Although BIS Acting Undersecretary Jeremy Pelter told the commission that BIS has complied with all laws regarding the disclosure of licensing information to Congress, Rep. Michael McCaul said the agency hasn’t been transparent.