The Bureau of Industry and Security again renewed temporary denial orders for three Russian airlines accused of violating U.S. export controls against Russia. BIS first suspended the export privileges of Aeroflot, Azur Air and UTair in April, barring the airlines from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (see 2204070010), and renewed their denial orders for 180 days from October (see 2210040008). BIS said all three airlines continue to "act in blatant disregard for U.S. export controls" by continuing to operate aircraft subject to the EAR. The orders include a table of recent flights operated by each airline. The orders were renewed for another 180 days from March 29.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is preparing new proposed export controls on automated peptide synthesizers, building off a September advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (see 2209120021). The agency sent the proposed rule for interagency review March 29.
The U.S. and more than 20 of its allies this week released an export controls code of conduct, establishing a new forum for “subscribing states” to share information and stop technologies from being used for human rights violations. The Bureau of Industry and Security also issued new guidance describing how it factors human rights issues into its export application decisions and outlining the due diligence responsibilities of exporters.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week announced a 20-year export denial order against a Montana resident and his two companies for violating U.S. export controls against Iran. BIS in June charged Kenneth Scott and his companies, Scott Communications and Mission Communications, with shipping export-controlled radios knowing they would be delivered to Iran, failing to maintain export records, making false statements to FBI and BIS agents and more (see 2206100053).
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week suspended the export privileges of three people for illegally shipping items to China and Mexico.
The Bureau of Industry and Security’s export application submission system will be unavailable beginning March 31 at 9 p.m. EDT and lasting through April 3 at 6 a.m. EDT for “planned maintenance,” the agency said in an alert on its homepage this week. The BIS Simplified Network Application Process – Redesign system (SNAP-R) “will not be accessible” during this time.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week suspended the export privileges of Texas resident Obed Rafael Cuevas-Serratos for illegally exporting ammunition from the U.S. to Mexico. Cuevas-Serratos was convicted Aug. 3, 2021, for smuggling about 13,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and was sentenced to 30 months of “confinement,” three years of supervised release and a $100 assessment. BIS suspended Cuevas-Serratos’ export privileges for nine years from the conviction date.
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The Bureau of Industry and Security this week added 11 entities in China, Myanmar, Nicaragua and Russia to the Entity List for various activities that have contributed to human rights abuses, the agency said in a final rule effective March 28. The entities include procurement firms, a police entity and technology and electronics companies, including several subsidiaries of Chinese surveillance company Hikvision, which was added to the Entity List in 2019 (see 2205090014).
The Bureau of Industry and Security added 11 entities in China, Myanmar, Nicaragua and Russia to the Entity List for various activities that have contributed to human rights abuses, the agency said in a final rule effective March 28. The entities include technology and electronics companies, among them multiple subsidiaries of Chinese surveillance company Hikvision, which was added to the Entity List in 2019 (see 2205090014). The entities will face a license requirement for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, and BIS will review license applications under a presumption of denial. BIS also amended the EAR to “explicitly confirm” that protecting human rights worldwide is a “basis” for adding entities to the Entity List.