The Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement received a Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) petition from a Mexican aviation union July 31. The petition, from Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores de México (ASPA), alleged retaliation against union members from Aerotransportes Mas de Carga (Mas Air), an airline based in Mexico City.

The State Department charged Island Pyrochemical Industries Corp. with three violations of the Arms Export Control Act and and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations on Aug. 25. According to the State Department, Island brokered with a Chinese company without its approval. The Department also charged Island with "falsely listing itself as the seller and source of the defense article on a DSP-5 license application" in 2015.

Under the Dodd-Frank Act, a whistleblower who exposes fraud can receive a monetary award and anti-retaliation protections through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Whistleblower Program - as long as they blow the whistle voluntarily. A definition of “voluntary” may seem simple enough. However, some Dodd-Frank whistleblowers who, acting of their own free will and without legal obligation, report fraud are considered “involuntary” simply because they reported to the media, other government agencies, foreign law enforcement, or a U.S. embassy.

Under the newly adopted § 766.24(d)(1), BIS is now permitted to request the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement to extend an existing TDO for up to one year, a substantial extension from the previous 180-day limit. This enhanced provision is triggered in cases where a subject party has exhibited a pattern of repeated and ongoing violations of the EAR, thereby justifying the need for a more protracted control mechanism.

In a statement released August, Paul Munter, Chief Accountant of the SEC stated the Commission's opinion that the corporate community's risk assessment is inadequate and too narrowly focused. "We are troubled by instances in which management and auditors appear too narrowly focused on information and risks that directly impact financial reporting, while disregarding broader, entity-level issues that may also impact financial reporting and internal controls," Munter writes.

The Department of State is imposing sanctions and pursuing visa restrictions onindividuals and entities connected to forcible transfer and deportation of Ukraine’s children.   "On Ukrainian Independence Day, we are sanctioning two entities and 11 individuals for their involvement in the forcible transfer of Ukraine’s children to Russia-occupied areas. Ukraine’s children are not forgotten,” Secretary Blinken on Twitter.

OFAC is releasing the second episode of its “Introduction to OFAC” web series, a series of short videos created to provide viewers with a high-level introduction on the fundamentals of …

The Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) will meet September 12, 2023, 9:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 3884, 1401 Constitution …

As detailed in the initial TDO issued on February 24, 2023, Balakaev engaged in conduct prohibited by the Regulations by unlawfully procuring and exporting from the United States electronic …

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is pleased to announce the second annual Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) Conference, which will take place on Thursday, September 14th at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This event will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions with representatives from across the U.S. Government who will provide insights on topics relevant to the Committee’s work.

  Based on a BIS review of the existing Section 232 exclusion process for areas of improvement and public comments on the current process for submissions to BIS, BIS is publishing this proposed rule to propose revisions to the Section 232 exclusions process, including to the Section 232 Exclusions Portal. The proposed rule to amend the Section 232 exclusions process comprises four salient modifications designed to refine efficiency, fairness, and transparency.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has accepted an Offer of Settlement from Minnesota's 3M Company, closing its investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by 3M's …

After complaining since at least 2005 that "we really need to do something about ITAR. It is really hurting U.S. industry,” and citing export controls for not hiring eligible non-citizens, South African immigrant Elon Musk's company SpaceX has been sued by the Justice Department for employment discrimination. The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) for discriminating against asylees and refugees in its hiring process. The lawsuit contends that from September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX deliberately discouraged such individuals from applying for positions within the company, violating the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

BIS Announced three Orders Denying Export Privileges Friday, two for gunrunning to Mexico and Canada, and one for the export of an "eyepiece" to China.

Chinese printer manufacture Ninestar, parent of Lexmark International, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other related parties of the U.S. government before the U.S. Court of International Trade. DHS added Ninestar and certain of its subsidiaries to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, and the company "is suffering irreparable harm to its business and reputation based on the listing," according to a statement.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned six individuals for contributing to the most recent escalation of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Individuals sanctioned include the FDLR’s defense commissioner and a Brigadier General in in charge of intelligence, as well as the leader of the the FDLR-affiliated Maccabe group, formerly known as the Commando de Recherche et D’Action en Profondeur(CRAP).  Additional individuals named include a Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a Brigadier General of the Rwandan defense forces (RDF) 

The European Commission has adopted the rules governing the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) during its transitional phase, which starts on 1 October of this year and runs until the end of 2025. The Implementing Regulation published August 17,  details the transitional reporting obligations for EU importers of CBAM goods, as well as the transitional methodology for calculating embedded emissions released during the production process of CBAM goods.

EXIM will host its 2023 Annual Conference Thursday, October 19 and Friday, October 20, at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC

The Export Import Bank of the US (EXIM) has announced the funding of the construction of bridges and associated infrastructure at 186 sites, distributed throughout eighteen provinces in Angola.  While the total amount of the obligation is not disclosed, the announcement indicated the value is in excess of $100 million. Acrow Corporation of America will manufacture the bridge components in its Milton, PA plant.    According to CEO Bill Killeen exports now make up at least 75% of the company’s approximately $80 million annual revenue. 

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a determination that allows sanctions to be imposed on any foreign individual or entity that operates in the jet fuel sector of the …