House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., urged the Biden administration this week to expand the export control exemption it intends to give Australia and the U.K. under the AUKUS security partnership.
LONDON -- Officials at a defense industry conference last week were complimentary of defense export control reforms recently announced by the U.S., Australia and the U.K., but they also said the three governments can do more to incentivize companies to make use of the reforms.
Jae Shin, director of compliance for the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, is on a professional sabbatical this year studying at the National War College, which educates government officials on national security strategy and similar topics, a State Department spokesperson said. John Foster, DDTC’s division chief for compliance and enforcement, is filling in for Shin. Foster’s official title during Shin’s sabbatical is acting director of compliance.
LONDON -- Members of the German defense industry want the country to expand a trilateral agreement on export controls among Germany, France and Spain, which could help remove defense trade barriers with a range of other nations, both inside and outside the EU.
The State Department will again renew relaxed export restrictions for certain defense goods and services involving Cyprus, it said in a final rule released this week and effective Oct. 1. The agency has issued the renewal each year since 2020 (see 2309130028), suspending its policy of denial for exports, reexports, and transfers of defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List to Cyprus. The move also suspends the policy of denial for retransfers and temporary imports destined for or originating in Cyprus and brokering activities involving Cyprus. The latest renewal expires Sept. 30, 2025.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is extending until Oct. 15 the public comment period for two July proposed rules that could put in place new restrictions on U.S. persons’ support for foreign military intelligence and foreign security end users, among other changes (see 2407250032). BIS said the extension will give commenters “additional time to review the proposed rule and to be informed by the public outreach that BIS is conducting on the rule in preparing their comments.”
The State Department is extending until Oct. 15 the public comment period for a July proposed rule that could revise its definition of defense services and the scope of related controls in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see 2407250032). Comments were originally due by Sept. 27, the agency said. The State Department said the Commerce Department also will soon extend its public comment period for a complementary pair of rules it issued the same day that could introduce new restrictions on U.S. persons’ support for foreign military intelligence and foreign security end users, among other changes.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The State Department is drafting a proposed rule that could revise the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by updating export controls on certain launch vehicles, ballistic missiles and other items in Category IV of the U.S. Munitions List and spacecraft and related items in Category XV of the USML. The rule, sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Sept. 17, would "describe more precisely the articles warranting control on the USML," the agency said. It would build on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking issued in March 2019 that solicited comments on changes to Categories IV and XV.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told a congressional panel Sept. 18 that he will look into the possibility of expanding the export control exemptions that the State Department intends to grant to Australia and the U.K. under the AUKUS security partnership.