On October 17, 2024, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released three rules—one Final Rule, one Interim Final Rule, and one Proposed Rule—to reduce controls on a variety of less sensitive space-related items, thereby ensuring the U.S. space industrial base remains globally competitive while also bolstering the U.S. international space partnerships. Concurrently
ITAR
State Department Largely Adopts Proposed Rule Extending License Exemptions for Australia and the United Kingdom into an Interim Final Rule
On August 20, 2024, the State Department published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to add a license exemption regime for exports, reexports, transfers, and temporary imports of defense articles and defense services to and between Australia and the United Kingdom. The Interim Final Rule…
DDTC Adds Two Activities to its List of “Activities That Are Not Exports, Reexports, Retransfers, or Temporary Imports”
On August 15, 2024, the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) published a final rule adding two activities to the definition of “activities that are not exports, reexports, retransfers, or temporary imports” in § 120.54 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The final rule, which goes into effect September 16…
Commerce and State Departments Issue Proposed Rules Addressing Restrictions on U.S. Persons’ Support for Foreign Military, Intelligence, and Security Services and Controls to Protect National Security and Human Rights
On July 29, 2024, both the Departments of Commerce and State issued separate but complementary proposed rules seeking public comment on enhanced restrictions on exports, reexports, or support to military or intelligence end users and end uses in countries of concern, consistent with the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Department of Commerce’s…
Further AUKUS Progress: State Publishes Proposed Rule for License Exemptions for Australia and the United Kingdom
On May 1, 2024, the State Department published a proposed rule to amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and establish an exemption to the licensing requirement for exports, reexports, transfers, or temporary import of defense articles to or within Australia and the United Kingdom. This proposed rule is intended to promote the goals…
DDTC Issues New ITAR Compliance Guidelines
On December 5, 2022, the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) released updated Compliance Program Guidelines that provide an overview of what it considers an effective compliance program. The document also provides both an introduction to the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and the manufacturing…
DDTC Announces Export Prohibitions of ITAR Articles to DNR and LNR Regions of Ukraine
The Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) announced on February 25, 2022, that effective immediately, DDTC has implemented a policy of denial for any licenses or other approvals under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) for exports, reexports, retransfers, temporary imports of, and brokering activities related to defense articles and defense…
DDTC Releases Updated “Guidelines for Preparing Agreements”
On February 14, 2022, the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) released Revision 5.0 of its Guidelines for Preparing Agreements. Under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), an “agreement” approved by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Licensing (DTCL) is required for the provision of a defense service, transfer of manufacturing…
DDTC Proposes Amendments to International Traffic in Arms Regulations
On February 2, 2022, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) issued a Federal Register notice proposing various amendments and clarification to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Most significantly, DDTC is proposing to revise the definitions of “export” and “reexport” to clarify that any release of technical data to a foreign…
BIS and DDTC Revise Export Controls for Cambodia
On December 9, 2021, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it was amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to apply more restrictive treatment to exports and reexports to, and transfers within, Cambodia of items subject to the EAR. BIS stated that it is taking this action “to address recent…