The Bureau of Industry and Security last week modified its temporary denial order against Russian airline Azur Air to update the airline’s address. The order now lists Azur Air as located in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. It was previously listed with a Moscow address. BIS last renewed the order for one year in September, barring the airline from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (see 2409200059).
USDA is reminding traders that they have until Feb. 17 to complete questionnaires under China’s ongoing imported beef safeguard investigation, which launched in December (see 2412300027 and 2501020023). The USDA notice includes a translation of the Chinese investigation announcement, links to the three questionnaires and an unofficial translation of the questionnaire for beef exporters. “All U.S. beef exporters are encouraged to undertake their own review of the notice and deadlines,” the agency said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke this week with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) arrangement, China’s “malign influence,” Russia’s war against Ukraine and a “range of pressing global issues,” a State Department spokesperson said Jan. 27. The spokesperson said they both “heralded joint initiatives, including the AUKUS partnership, which promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable.” AUKUS, a deal stood up by the Biden administration, allows the three countries to benefit from reduced export licensing restrictions for certain defense and dual-use exports (see 2412040044, 2408160019 and 2410010030).
The U.S. in FY 2024 saw record numbers for both its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and authorizations of direct commercial sales (DCS), the State Department said in a fact sheet last week. The agency said it recorded the highest ever annual amount of FMS sales at $117.9 billion, a 45.7% increase from FY 2023, and $200.8 billion in DCS authorizations, a 27.5% increase from the previous fiscal year.
Although the Supreme Court last week granted the U.S. government’s motion to lift a nationwide injunction on the Corporate Transparency Act's new beneficial ownership information reporting requirements, the Treasury Department said it’s still blocked from enforcing the new rules because they remain blocked by a separate court.
President Donald Trump last week revoked the Biden administration’s 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, which could have ramifications for recent AI-related export controls issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security.
The Coalition for a Prosperous America, a think tank aligned with Trump's trade policy, issued a new report on agricultural trade, arguing that policies that aimed to lower U.S. tariffs in exchange for better market access for U.S. agricultural exports almost exclusively benefited soybeans, corn and wheat, while hurting fruit and vegetable farmers and livestock operations.
The International Trade Administration published its 2025 Defense Export Handbook, which it said serves as a “toolkit” for companies looking to comply with government regulations for defense exports. It gives guidance to businesses that are new to exporting defense items and includes “tips to navigate” U.S. export requirements, including those governing foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, shipments regulated by the Bureau of Industry and Security and Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, and more.
The U.S. and Norway signed a new technology safeguards agreement last week that outlines the “legal and technical framework” for U.S. commercial space launches from Norwegian spaceports while also “ensuring proper handling of sensitive technology,” the State Department said. The agency said the agreement is “consistent” with the Missile Technology Control Regime, the multilateral group of countries that adheres to controls around missile- and space-related technologies. “This Agreement protects sensitive U.S. technology and sets the standard for how others should use such sensitive technology in the conduct of satellite and rocket launches from foreign locations,” the State Department said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is planning to hold its annual update conference March 18-20 in Washington, according to the agency’s website. Registration for the conference hasn’t yet opened.