The State Department determined the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, also operating under several apparent aliases, to be a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, State said (here). "Global terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the entity. The designation also freezes all property and interests of the entity in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has started accepting expired DSP-83 forms for processing, after working with the Office of Management and Budget to update its policy for that military equipment authorization application, DDTC said (here). The agency will process applications as long as they contain all the information required by the current, unexpired form, but State is urging firms to implement the new form by Oct. 1, “in order to avoid any confusion during future revisions,” DDTC said. Officials developed the policy because the expired DSP-83 is largely similar to the current form, according to the agency.

The State Department has named the leaders of its delegation to the sixth U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue set for June 5-6 in Beijing (here). President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss ivory trading prohibition, among other things (see 1606010015).

The U.S. is considering whether to issue sanctions in response to a Russian delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Iran, State Department spokesman John Kirby said during a June 1 press conference (here). “We’ve not made yet any determination as to whether this delivery, if and when it’s complete, would trigger actions under U.S. authorities, but we’re continuing to look at this,” he said.

Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela remain uncooperative with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, meaning that no U.S. defense articles or services may be sold or licensed for export in fiscal 2016, unless the president determines a specific potential transaction to be in the national interests of the U.S., Secretary of State John Kerry said in a note to Congress (here). The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) dictates the prohibition.

The State Department determined Jama’at ul Dawa al-Qu’ran (here) and the Tariq Gidar Group (here) to be Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Additionally, State has continued the designation of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (here). "Global terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the entities. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the entity in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The United Nations Security Council sanctions regime against Liberia has been terminated pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2288, adopted May 25, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) announced (here). DDTC will review applications for licenses to export or temporarily import defense articles and services to or from Liberia under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) on a case-by-case basis, it said.

Secretary of State John Kerry has terminated the State Department’s policy of prohibiting the sale or transfer of lethal weapons to Vietnam, including restrictions on exports to and imports from Vietnam for arms and related materiel, the department’s Directorate for Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) announced (here). DDTC will review on a case-by-case basis applications for licenses to export or temporarily import defense articles and defense services to and from Vietnam under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), DDTC said.

The State Department updated its list of countries (here) certified to have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that is comparable to that of the U.S., or fish in conditions that pose no risk to sea turtles, and therefore eligible to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031. The list includes 39 countries and one economy. Countries with a comparable regulatory program include Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, and Suriname. Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay harvest in an environment that poses no risk, and the Bahamas, Belize, China, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Oman, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela employ practices that don’t pose a risk to sea turtles, said State.

The State Department is renewing the charter for the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) for two more years, State said (here). The DTAG advises State on its policy and regulation of defense trade, and will remain in existence for two years after the filing date of the charter unless terminated sooner.