German demand for a range of U.S. seafood exports continues to rise and is expected to provide increased opportunities for exports of U.S. fish, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released April 17. The USDA said Germany is “especially dependent” on imports of Alaska pollock and there are “good prospects” for salmon, cod, scallops and dogfish. The report also includes current German import requirements for U.S. seafood exporters. The USDA said German demand is expected to continue to rise after an increase of nearly 20% in imports of U.S. fish in 2019.

The State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has seen a decline in voluntary self-disclosures since 2013, according to an April 20 post on the EU Sanctions blog, which cited a report by the Global Investigations Review. DDTC processed just over 2,000 disclosures in 2013 but only 650 in 2019, the blog said. Since 2014, the number of self-disclosures fell by about 140 disclosures per year, the blog post said, but has remained “consistent” over the last two years. The decrease stems from the removal of certain dual-use items from the U.S. Munitions List to the Commerce Control List, the blog said.

The State Department approved two potential military sales to India worth $63 million and $92 million, respectively, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 13. The first sale includes 19 torpedoes and equipment, and the second sale includes 10 harpoon “air launched missiles.” The principal contractor for the first sale is Raytheon Integrated Defense System, and the contractor for the second is Boeing.

The State Department approved a potential $62 million military sale to Morocco, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 14. The sale includes 10 “air launched missiles” and equipment. The prime contractor is Boeing.

The Trump administration eased its initial restrictions on exports of personal protective equipment (2004080018) after pushback from industry, which pointed out several “shortcomings” of the broad restrictions in a conference call with agencies last week, according to an April 14 Bloomberg report. The pushback resulted in the April 9 CBP memo that introduced several limitations on the scope of the restrictions, including exemptions for exports to Canada and Mexico (see 2004090069). On the call, companies and their lawyers said the restrictions would affect shipments to company offices overseas and to U.S. military bases abroad, the report said.

The State Department approved a potential $675 million military sale to South Korea, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 10. The sale includes support and services for its F-35 aircraft, engines and weapons. The principal contractors are Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney.

The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security this week postponed several upcoming export compliance seminars due to the COVID-19 pandemic response and announced an online-only export control conference for May. The online conference, which will run May 19-22, will cover a range of export compliance topics, BIS said, including the scope of the Export Administration Regulations, classifying items for export, using license exceptions, the de minimis and direct product rules, export enforcement and more. The conference will be hosted by “BIS specialists” during a daily three-hour session from 9 a.m. to noon. The conference will also include a question-and-answer session. Note that the conference is on Pacific Daylight Time.

The State Department approved a potential $40.55 million military sale to the Netherlands, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said April 10. The sale includes 199 “Excalibur Increment IB M982Al tactical projectiles” and other equipment. The prime contractor is Raytheon.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States approved a resolution to temporarily cease financing for exports of personal protective equipment, EXIM said in an April 14 press release. Financing will no longer be available through Sept. 30 for certain “critically needed” medical supplies and equipment, such as masks, gloves, face shields and other items identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week (see 2004080018). EXIM said it will contact insured exporters of medical equipment and make sure their existing agreements only cover exports that “reflect the new EXIM policy,” the bank said. Financing for medical equipment represents “a relatively small portion of EXIM’s overall financing portfolio,” at less than 1%, the bank said.

The State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group will hold its May 14 meeting online due to the measures in place to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said in a notice. The meeting will feature discussions on improvements surrounding the Defense Export Control and Compliance System (see 2002190025), improving compliance guidelines for companies and universities, and more. The group, composed of industry representatives in the defense trade sector, advises the State Department on policies, regulations and technical issues impacting defense trade.