The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the U.S. National Intelligence Director (ODNI) have declared the fulfillment of their commitments under President Joe Biden's Executive Order (EO) 14086 regarding the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. Since 2020, when the European Court of Justice nullified the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield agreement due to concerns about U.S. government surveillance activities, the U.S. and the EU have been on a quest to establish a new data flow mechanism. This decision unsettled transatlantic data transfers and necessitated a resolution that would ensure enhanced privacy and data protection for EU data subjects. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a press statement that the DOJ's designation of EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, as "qualifying states." These designations allow citizens of these nations to seek redress through the proposed Data Protection Review Court, offering enhanced U.S. privacy protections in the process.

On June 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of State published its 2023 Fiscal Transparency Report, revealing that out of 141 global posts surveyed, only 72 governments met the basic criteria for fiscal …

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a lengthy conversation with Chinese officials last week over Beijing’s belief that the United States is trying to “contain” it economically. …

The United States and Mongolia signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to jointly advance security and resilient critical mineral supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. Washington is looking …

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has announced the creation of a new bipartisan task force aimed at overhauling the U.S. foreign military sales process. Named the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Technical, Industrial, and Governmental Engagement for Readiness (TIGER) Task Force, it is set to be led by Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) and co-led by Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA).

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, may bring a PhD and extensive national security experience to the role, but he takes seriously the political mantle he's assumed as the most enthusiastic anti-communist from the Fox River Valley in three generations.  

A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has introduced the Sanctions Evasion Whistleblower Rewards Act, legislation aimed at bolstering national security by incentivizing the exposure of sanctions evasion. This move will effectively offer rewards for information leading to the apprehension or conviction of those evading U.S. or UN sanctions.

Friday, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded the third plenary of the Singaporean presidency, during which it advanced its anti-corruption agenda, approved for public consultation a …

Friday, the EU Council announced the adoption of the eleventh comprehensive package of sanctions, imposing restrictive measures on an additional 71 individuals and 33 entities identified as …

A large group of Republican senators introduced legislation requiring the President to submit any sanctions relief for Iran for Congressional review before taking action, while House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation that would prevent US sanctions on Iran from expiring in 2026 unless Tehran meets specific criteria.

In an effort to counter rising foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) has introduced the Protecting American Farmland Act in the House of Representatives. This legislation proposes a 60% excise tax on "Countries of Concern" attempting to buy American farm and ranch land. 

Export practitioners and regulators were called to the hill in recent weeks to explain to lawmakers what was being done and what could be improved.  BIS and Treasury Officials fielded queries in the Senate, while an oversight committee in the House invited former Commerce officials to discuss what could be done better.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce have issued a supplemental joint alert urging financial institutions …

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. , head of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) criminal division, reports an increase in corporate disclosures following the implementation of new …

In their Joint Statment, members of the US - EU Trade and Technology Council expressed support for the ongoing sanctions activities, export and investment controls:

The United States was the world's largest services market and was the top exporter and importer of services in 2021, according to a new report released by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).  Preliminary data for 2022 indicate an increase of 15.9 percent in total services exports compared to the previous year.

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bonnie D. Jenkins, is set to travel to the Republic of Korea (ROK) from May 29 to June 2, to continue the United States' …

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, under the leadership of Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), advanced H.R. 1042, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, in a markup session on Thursday. The bill, introduced last month by Rodgers and Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), Chair of the E&C Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, seeks to ban fuel imports from Russia in a bid to decrease America's dependence on Russian nuclear fuels.

The time has come to “take off the golden blindfolds and open our eyes to the risks in China,” the head of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party declared at an evening hearing May 17. Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc) said that while a total economic decoupling from China is not possible, his panel will come up with policy recommendations for a “strategic derisking.”

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would require the federal government to screen US outbound investments to countries like China and Russia. The National …