The U.S. should be preparing a strategy to make sure it leads in the next generation of advanced semiconductor technologies, said Romesh Wadhwani, founder of investment firm Symphony Technology Group. Wadhwani also said the funding included in the Chips Act is a good start, but likely won’t be enough to remain ahead of China and shield U.S. supply chains from geopolitical risks.
The Bureau of Industry and Security last week extended by 30 days its public comment periods for two recent information collections. One information collection involves BIS foreign availability procedures and determinations (see 2211210033); the other is related to the report of requests for restrictive trade practices or boycotts (see 2211210031).
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week extended its public comment periods for two recent information collections. BIS initially requested comments on each in November and is now extending the comment periods for 30 days. One information collection involves the procedure for entities on the Unverified List or Entity List to request removal or “modification” of their placement on either list (see 2211230010), and the other is related to voluntary disclosures for violations of the Export Administration Regulations (see 2211170010).
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 EU and the U.K. are stepping up Russia sanctions enforcement, mirroring U.S. efforts to increase prosecutions and designations of companies helping Moscow evade trade restrictions, two Europe-based lawyers said this week. They said European countries are increasingly taking steps to expand the extraterritorial reach of their sanctions authorities, warning companies to make sure they’re conducting careful due diligence.