Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross criticized a “blacklist” recently released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that lists 112 companies, including several U.S. businesses, that do business in a disputed Israeli-Palestinian territory. In a March 3 statement, Ross said boycotts against Israel and companies doing business with Israel “are contrary” to U.S. policy, saying the UN list is “anti-business” and ”seeks to isolate Israel, has no factual basis or legal force whatsoever, and should not be adhered to in any respect.” Ross said the U.S. “fully supports the U.S. companies identified on the list and encourages all U.S. businesses to continue to work with and invest in Israeli as well as Palestinian communities.”
The U.S. and Latvia issued a joint declaration agreeing to source only from “trusted” 5G suppliers, saying those efforts will improve national security and benefit their private sectors. “The United States and Latvia believe that it is critical for countries to transition from untrusted network hardware and software suppliers in existing networks to trusted ones,” the declaration, released Feb. 27 by the State Department, said. The declaration comes as the U.S. lobbies other countries to reject Huawei technology and seeks to further restrict foreign sales containing U.S. goods to Huawei (see 2002050047).
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released a recording of its Feb. 13 Defense Export Control and Compliance System webinar (see 2002070048), covering corporate administrators, user management, access groups, self service. The registration and licensing applications for DECCS launched Feb. 18 (see 2002190025).
The State Department approved three potential military sales worth more than $700 million total, to Jordan, the Netherlands and Tunisia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Feb. 26. The sale to Jordan would include $300 million worth of “Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data” systems, while the sales to the Netherlands and Tunisia would include $85 million worth of “torpedo conversion kits” and $325.8 million worth of “Wolverine Light Attack” aircraft, respectively. The prime contractors for the Jordan sale are Raytheon and the Harris Corporation. The prime contractor for the Netherlands sale is also Raytheon, and the prime contractor for the Tunisia sale is Textron Aviation Defense.
The State Department is creating a “Guidance Portal” that contains links to all agency guidance documents, the State department said in a notice. The portal will be available starting Feb. 28 at www.state.gov/guidance. The State Department will accept comments on any of the guidance documents included in the portal, by email at guidance@state.gov.
The U.S.-Swiss joint mechanism used to export humanitarian goods to Iran is now “fully operational,” the Treasury Department said Feb. 27. Treasury also issued a general license and a series of frequently asked questions to clarify how the mechanism can be used.
The Defense Department’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency released its annual report on foreign attempts to target U.S. technologies, according to a Feb. 25 notice. The report details the cleared industry’s reporting of “suspicious contact” that represents “potential foreign intelligence entities attempts” to illegally acquire U.S. technologies. The report details attempts to acquire U.S. electronics, aeronautic systems, computers, and more, breaking down attempts by geographic region.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on Feb. 19 issued two frequently asked questions that provide guidance on U.S. people exporting defense services abroad. The FAQs clarify guidance for exporters who “believe they may be currently furnishing defense services without authorization,” DDTC said.
Vehicles being exported from New York may face delays and may be “de-pritotized” for export due to recent state legislation, according to a Feb. 6 CBP press release. The legislation, the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, restricts CBP’s access to certain criminal history information recorded by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the agency said, which will affect its Vehicle Exports Program. The change will affect vehicles titled in New York “when supporting documents cannot be authenticated through information sharing with New York DMV,” the notice said. “We recognize that many New York residents and businesses will be negatively affected by this change, but we cannot compromise the safety and security of our homeland,” CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said in a statement. “When states take negative measures that hinder our ability to protect our great country, we must respond.”
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released two new Frequently Asked Questions related to its reporting, procedures and penalties regulations (see 1906200036), according to a Feb. 20 notice. The FAQs provide updated instructions and “incorporate” new requirements for filing reports with OFAC on blocked property, unblocked property and rejected transactions.