The State Department approved a potential military sale to Canada worth about $862.3 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said June 16. The sale includes 50 “Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles” and related equipment. The prime contractors are Raytheon, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Boeing and Collins Aerospace.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report on the status of U.S. poultry exports to China urges U.S. exporters to reconnect with Chinese importers and distributors and seek out new contacts now that the country is accepting U.S. poultry imports (see 1911140019). The June 11 report outlines current market conditions, access regulations and market entry recommendations. The Chinese market “has changed considerably” since the U.S. “last had market access in 2015,” USDA said, adding that U.S. exporters should consider working with suppliers to China’s “semi-prepared and frozen food processing segments.” That sector has seen “considerable change … and may offer new opportunities for U.S. exporters,” it said.
SEMI, a global electronics manufacturing and design industry association, applauded a Senate bill introduced last week (see 2006110038) that would provide funding for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The legislation would help U.S. semiconductor research, increase U.S. competitiveness and bolster national security, SEMI said June 12. It would help the U.S. keep up with foreign competitors that benefit from “robust incentives,” SEMI said. “The lack of a federal U.S. incentive [has helped drive] the location of semiconductor manufacturing facilities overseas,” the group said, calling the bill a “significant step forward.” The Semiconductor Industry Association also praised the measure.
The Commerce Department is extending by 30 days, until July 6, the due date for comments on an information collection related to the five-year record retention requirement for export transactions and boycott actions, it said in a notice. Comments were previously due June 5 (see 2004030026).
The State Department renewed the charter for the Defense Trade Advisory Group, the agency said June 8. DTAG, the only State Department advisory board that addresses defense trade topics, will remain active for two more years unless it is terminated sooner, the agency said. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued an updated DTAG members list and presentations from September's DTAG plenary meeting.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is working with the Department of Defense to survey the industrial base involved with Air Force systems supply chains, BIS said in a June 8 notice. The survey data will provide both agencies with a clearer picture of the “structure and interdependencies” of companies that supply Air Force products, including “maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) related activities,” the notice said. The survey aims to help DoD’s Air Force Sustainment Center better “identify and resolve supply chain deficiencies, foreign dependencies, and other challenges in the industrial base.” The survey will also record “difficulties” faced by suppliers throughout the supply chain, including impacts from the coronavirus.
The State Department is seeking comments on recent measures that allowed for temporary suspensions and exceptions to provisions in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see 2004240017), it said in a notice. The agency seeks feedback on the “efficacy” and impact of the measures on industry and whether it should extend the measures' expiration dates. The agency is also accepting comments on additional ITAR measures it can take to mitigate burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A State Department official recently said the agency is considering extending some measures, including allowing employees involved in ITAR-related activities to work remotely (see 2005080038). Comments are due June 25.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will hold its semi-annual in-house seminar as a “virtual event” on July 1 due to restrictions implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19, the agency said in a June 4 notice. Attendees can register by emailing DDTCInHouseSeminars@state.gov before June 24.
An interim final rule explaining how the Department of Labor will certify how much of a vehicle's production came from workers making at least $16 an hour has been sent to the Office and Management and Budget for review, the final step before issuance. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at OMB received the rule on June 1.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security corrected the formatting for an April final rule that expanded licensing requirements for certain military-related exports to China, Russia and Venezuela, according to a notice. The corrected format “publishes the full text of each revised Export Control Classification Number on the Commerce Control List,” the notice said. BIS issued the correction because the agency “felt it was easier for compliance purposes,” said Hillary Hess, BIS’s regulatory policy director, speaking during a June 2 Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee meeting. “It does not change the substance of the rule at all.”