The State Department approved more than $20 billion worth of possible military sales to Israel this week, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced. The sales include:

The Defense Department will remove Hesai Technology, the largest Chinese lidar company by sales, from its list of Chinese companies that it said have ties to that country’s military (see 2402010018 and 2402090014), the Financial Times reported Aug. 13. The Pentagon made the decision to remove Hesai from the 1260H List after government lawyers expressed concerns about whether the listing would hold up in court, the report said. Hesai sued the agency over the listing in May. A Pentagon spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A direct final rule released by the Federal Maritime Commission this week will set requirements for how and when the official FMC seal can be used. It’s also meant to prevent “any outside person or organization” from using the seal without commission approval, the FMC said, adding that there have “been recent occurrences of use of the seal by outside parties that FMC believes is misuse of the seal. Having a codified policy will help to ensure that the seal is used for lawful purposes only.” Violators could face administrative action or criminal penalties, the commission said. The rule takes effect Oct. 15 unless the FMC receives a “significant adverse comment” on the new requirements by Sept. 12.

The State Department approved a possible $580 million military sale to Norway, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Aug. 9. The sale includes “M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems” and related equipment, and the principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin.

An upcoming supply chain summit hosted by the Commerce Department and the Council on Foreign Relations will bring together industry and government leaders to discuss ways to improve supply chain resilience.

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking public comments on an information collection related to Bank Secrecy Act regulations. The information collection involves requirements for banks to file FinCEN Form 110, Designation of Exempt Person, which designates certain customers as “exempt” from BSA filing requirements for transactions above $10,000. Comments are due Oct. 7.

One of the Russians included in a Washington-Moscow prisoner swap this week was indicted in 2022 as part of a scheme to illegally export dual-use goods to Russia. Vadim Konoshchenok, who was charged alongside other Russians for their role in a global procurement and money laundering network for the Russian government (see 2212130075), is part of the group of prisoners the Biden administration is sending to Moscow in exchange for jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich, ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and others, according to multiple news reports. Konoshchenok was arrested in Estonia in 2023 and extradited to the U.S.

The State Department approved a possible $600 million military sale to Slovakia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said July 31. The sale includes “AH-1Z Attack Helicopters” and related equipment and services, and the principal contractors will be Bell Textron and General Electric.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is extending the public comment deadlines for two information collections involving export activities. One involves the government’s Competitive Enhancement Needs Assessment Survey Program, under which the BIS Office of Technology Evaluation surveys businesses to determine which “government competitive enhancement, procurement opportunity and business diversification programs would benefit their competitive position in the marketplace.” The other involves Form BIS-4023P, which companies must submit to participate in the NATO International Competitive Bidding process under the NATO Security Investment Program. Comments were previously requested in March, but the agency is allowing for another 30 days.

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls said it launched a redesign of certain portions of its website July 31, including “key Registration and Licensing pages.” The redesign also “features a number of significant enhancements including improved navigation, searchability, and accessibility,” DDTC said.