Taiwanese companies are “highly concerned” about a potential overdependence on China’s economy and the possibility of a U.S.-China military conflict,” the Center for Strategic & International Studies said in a new report this week. Because of this, CSIS said, “there is significant support for expanding trade and investment ties” with the U.S. and for maintaining its technological edge through domestic investments and export controls.
Taiwan is “constantly” examining its export controls to make sure they’re capturing sensitive technologies, although it remains unclear if the controls will be discussed within its “Chip 4” alliance with the U.S., South Korea and Japan, a senior Taiwan official said this week. Chen Chern-chyi, Taiwan’s deputy economic affairs minister, said the four countries recently held a preparatory meeting for the alliance, but the group hasn’t yet set a formal agenda or scheduled an official first session, according to an Oct. 5 Nikkei report. He said the alliance is mainly “to work with our partners to form a resilient supply chain.”
The U.S. should harmonize the sanctions lists kept by the Commerce and Treasury departments to ensure trade and financial restrictions are imposed across the same set of companies, said Keith Krach, a former senior State Department official. Krach said all companies subject to export restrictions on the Entity List also should face strict financial sanctions on Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals List to cut off any U.S. support for sanctioned companies, particularly those in China.
Richard Lant, a Nevada resident, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3 to conspiracy to illegally export tank helmets to Iran, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California announced. From May to October 2015, Lant and other co-conspirators, including Dariush Niknia, who pleaded guilty in September, worked to illegally sell 500 of the Russian-made tank helmets to Niknia's Iranian customer. The helmets were made for Russian-made T-72S battle tanks and have a "five-pin plug" feature needed for compatibility with a tank communication device, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week 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). Despite the restrictions, BIS said all three airlines have continued to operate flights into and out of Russia. The orders were renewed for another 180 days from Oct. 3.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for five people after they illegally exported or tried to export controlled items from the U.S.
The White House should hold off on issuing a “unilateral” executive order on outbound investment screening (see 2209290043 and 2209140041) and should instead work with Congress to address sensitive investment flows to China, said Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. In an Oct. 3 letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, McHenry said he is “concerned that the Administration may choose to resort to unilateral measures,” including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, rather than “work with Congress to address the threat posed by China.”
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Michigan-based Thermotron Industries violated U.S. export controls when it shipped a controlled environmental test chamber to South Korea without a license, the Bureau of Industry and Security said in an enforcement order released this week. BIS said Thermotron, an environmental test equipment manufacturer, exported the test chamber in 2012 despite it being subject to missile technology controls and subject to a license requirement under Export Control Classification Number 9B106.
Sohan Dasgupta, a former Department of Homeland Security deputy general counsel, joined Taft as a partner in its Washington, D.C.-based Litigation practice group, the firm announced. Dasgupta worked at both DHS and as special counsel at the Department of Education. In these positions, he worked on matters relating to international trade, including export controls, sanctions, customs compliance, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., Team Telecom and the supply chain, the firm said. Most recently, he was a partner and member at Frost Brown.