CBP should implement a “standardized national process” for vehicle exports across U.S. ports, said Brian Barber, vice president of U.S. brokerage operations and government affairs at Willson International. Barber, speaking this week during CBP’s Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit, said a more streamlined process could help brokers keep track of various vehicle export procedures.
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Turkey worth about $259 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 17. The sale includes defense articles and services to “support upgrading its current fleet of F-16 aircraft.” The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
The Federal Maritime Commission this week posted an instructional video on how to file a charge complaint. Charge complaints were established by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (see 2207140045). The video includes information about "the types of charges that can be contested, the materials needed to file a complaint, how investigations are conducted, and potential outcomes," according to an FMC press release.
The Federal Maritime Commission is giving more discretion to its Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance (BEIC) by allowing it to issue notices of violations and to compromise civil penalty claims without first obtaining FMC approval. The changes, outlined in a final rule effective May 17, will "provide enhanced efficiency and flexibility during the enforcement process while maintaining Commission oversight," FMC said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is looking for new candidates to serve on each of its six technical advisory committees, the agency said this week. The TAC members -- selected from industry, academia and government -- will help advise the Commerce Department on export controls and may serve terms of not more than four consecutive years. Applicants should send a resume and other required information to Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov by June 13.
The State Department approved two potential military sales to Morocco worth more than $700 million combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 11. One sale includes $524.2 million worth of “High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems” and related equipment, and the principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, L3 Harris Communications, Raytheon, Cobham Aerospace Connectivity, Oshkosh Defense, AAR Corporation AAR Manufacturing, and AM General. The second sale includes $250 million worth of “Joint Stand Off Weapons” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis is conducting a mandatory five-year benchmark survey of U.S. foreign direct investment, Thompson Hine said in an April client alert. U.S. companies must participate in the survey if at least 10% of their voting shares are directly or indirectly owned by a foreign person or company. Responses must be filed to BEA by May 31. The law firm warned that “completing the survey form can be time-intensive” depending on the “level of complexity of foreign ownership and the business’s corporate structure.” BEA will “generally approve reasonable requests for an extension of the filing deadline if requested before May 31.”
The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public comments on several information collections related to its Chips Act incentive program. They include collections on an “Ask CHIPS web form,” program application, program pre-application, environmental questionnaire and “statement of interest.” Comments are due June 12.
Egypt, one of the closest U.S. allies in the Middle East, “secretly” planned to supply up to 40,000 rockets to Russia for its war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported April 11. The report cites U.S. military and intelligence documents recently leaked online, one of which summarizes conversations between Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and senior Egyptian military officials about plans for the country to supply rockets, artillery rounds and gunpowder to Moscow. In one document, the report said, Sissi orders the officials to keep the plan secret “to avoid problems with the West.”
The Treasury Department recently released its list of countries that require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott. Listed are Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. The list is unchanged from the previous version (see 2212270026).