The U.S. Department of Commerce amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), effective March 15, 2024, to move Nicaragua from Country Group B to Country Group D, and added it to the list of countries subject to the military end use and military end user restrictions. Additionally, the State Department’s Directorate…
On March 1, 2024 the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on regulations that aim to reduce the national security risks from connected vehicles (CVs) that incorporate technology from countries of concern, including the People’s Republic…
On March 7, 2024, Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after Hungary’s parliament cleared the last hurdle to Sweden’s membership. Sweden and Finland began pursuing NATO membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Finland joined NATO in April 2023. Sweden’s accession, however, was met with significant…
In 2023 and the early months of 2024, there has been a flurry of agency activity to implement key programs enacted under the CHIPS and Science Act—directing benefits to the semiconductor industry. In “Reviewing Key CHIPS Act Implementation Milestones to Deliver Opportunities for the Semiconductor Supply Chain,” Nancy A. Fischer, Aimee P.…
This past year saw a continued trend in building supply chain resiliency, as this topic has grown increasingly important following COVID-19, the conflict in Ukraine, shifting landscape on tariffs, forced labor concerns and a number of other factors. Increasingly, supply chains are having to respond to policy concerns requiring shifting…
Takeaways On January 16, 2024, the Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement announced several updates to its VSD process aimed at enhancing the program’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. These enhancements create a more streamlined disclosure process for minor violations, including through abbreviated narratives, quarterly bundled disclosures, and…
During 2023 both Congress and the Biden Administration repeatedly expressed the need to secure critical supply chains, particularly batteries that rely heavily on lithium and critical minerals sourced from China. Concerns have been framed in terms of national security focusing on the danger of relying too heavily on products integral…
On January 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced the redesignation of the Yemen-based Ansarallah (commonly referred to as the “Houthis”) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization (SDGT). The decision to redesignate Ansarallah comes after several months of attacks by Houthi forces against international maritime vessels in both…
In 2023, the United States sharpened its focus on deterring China’s ability to develop advanced technology with the potential to threaten U.S. national security. To do so, the U.S. government has implemented several new restrictions and requirements related to critical technologies. Some of these measures, such as the announcement of…
2023 witnessed significant developments from the United States government aimed at countering China’s influence and curbing potential threats to U.S. national security. These developments have spanned legislative and administrative action, shifting long-standing paradigms within export controls, import controls, and sanctions. The Biden Administration is increasingly utilizing these tools as strategic…