Aerojet Rocketdyne, a rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer, settled a claim with the Department of Justice over whether the company did not allow a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. to apply for a position due to his immigration status. Aerojet violated the Immigration and Nationality Act's anti-discrimination provision when the company considered only U.S. citizens for 12 mechanic roles in Jupiter, Florida, without proper justification, DOJ said in a May 17 news release. Aerojet manufactures and sells advanced propulsion and energetics systems that are subject to federal regulations such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations for its contracting work with the U.S. government and foreign companies.
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand hired Michael McGee to lead the consultancy's new Global Trade and Customs practice, it said in a May 12 news release. McGee was previously the global director of International Trade Regulations at BP America. “The political landscape and the pandemic have led to more regulations, increasingly complex tax regimes and the need to redraw supply chains. As a result, there is greater demand for expert tax advisory services, including for global trade and tariffs and duties,” said Ernesto Perez, managing director of the Houston firm. “In line with A&M’s leadership, action, results approach, A&M Taxand is responding to the shifting business environment by expanding and strengthening specialized tax services to maximize value for clients.” A&M said McGee has “expert knowledge of U.S. Customs Law, Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations, Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control, and Department of Commerce Antiboycott Regulations.”
A U.S. district court judge dismissed a case involving the seizure of a multimillion-dollar jet after Texas officials failed to prove the jet violated export regulations or was involved in a money-laundering scheme. Texas police seized the British Aerospace BAE 125 Series jet last year on tax evasion and money-laundering charges and suggested the owners violated the Export Administration Regulations, but a judge said police had no evidence or probable cause.
The State Department fined a U.S. aerospace and technology company $13 million for illegally exporting technical data to several countries, including China, according to a May 3 order. Honeywell International sent drawings of parts for military-related items, including for engines of military jets and bombers, the agency said, all of which were controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. After discovering the violations, issuing a self-disclosure to the State Department and bolstering its compliance program, the company again illegally exported technical drawings, failing to abide by its improved compliance requirements, the order said.
Although a court opinion last week cleared the way for exports of 3D-printed guns to be removed from State Department jurisdiction, the guns will continue to be covered under the agency’s U.S. Munitions List until the ruling is made official, the State Department said.
3D-printed guns can now be removed from the State Department-regulated U.S. Munitions List following an April 27 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Penned by judges Jay Bybee and Ryan Nelson, the decision lifts an injunction on regulations issued by President Donald Trump in 2018 to transfer “ghost gun” blueprints from the USML to the less-restrictive Commerce Control List.