The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing Russia-related General License 25E - "Authorizing Transactions Related to Telecommunications and Certain Internet-Based Communications," along with a related FAQ. Additionally, OFAC is publishing an alert, "Russian Attempts to Evade Sanctions Using New Overseas Branches and Subsidiaries," to warn foreign jurisdictions and financial institutions about Russia’s attempts to evade sanctions by opening new overseas branches and subsidiaries of Russian financial institutions.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated U.S. government response to Moscow’s efforts to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Beginning in early 2024, executives at RT—Russia’s state-funded news media outlet—began an ever more nefarious effort to covertly recruit unwitting American influencers in support of their malign influence campaign. RT used a front company to disguise its own involvement or the involvement of the Russian government in content meant to influence U.S. audiences. According to the Treasury statement, the Kremlin has increasingly adapted its efforts to hide its involvement by developing a vast ecosystem of Russian proxy websites, fake online personas, and front organizations that give the false appearance of being independent news sources unconnected to the Russian state.

RTX Corporation, the defense contracting roll-up formerly known as Raytheon, has entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of State following a comprehensive investigation into violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). By paying $100 million in fines and promising to spend another $100 million on compliance programs, the firm avoids debarment and further criminal or civil action.

Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is requesting comments on the administration of Form DS-2032 Statement of Registration;

The Justice Department declined to prosecute the Boston Consulting Group, Inc. (BCG) for a scheme in which the firm paid $4.3 million in "commissions" to obtain consulting contracts with the government of Angola. The Government’s investigation found evidence that from in or about 2011 until in or about 2017, BCG, through its Lisbon, Portugal office, paid its agent in Angola to help BCG obtain business from the Angolan Ministry of Economy (“MINEC”) and the National Bank of Angola (“BNA”).

Evidently the "strong concerns with Canada’s unilateral digital service tax" the USTR cited in the readout of last weeks meeting between Ambassador Katherine Tai and Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development, Mary Ng. Involved a preview of a USMCA dispute settlement complaint. Friday Tai announced that the United States has requested dispute settlement consultations with Canada under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) regarding Canada’s recently enacted digital service tax (DST).

The Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will meet on September 18, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., eastern daylight time, in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 1412, 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D. C.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued two rules to help safeguard the residential real estate and investment adviser sectors from illicit finance. The investment adviser rule is slated to go into effect in January 2026. Its residential real-estate rule is scheduled to begin in December 2025.

Congressional China hawks have called for U.S. Department of Defense to immediately place Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) on the Section 1260H List, which provides transparency on Chinese military companies operating in the United States. Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging the move, stating "By including CATL on the Section 1260H List, the DoD would not only safeguard America’s military infrastructure from exposure to the PLA, it would also send a powerful signal to U.S. companies who are currently weighing partnerships with CATL.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is considering updating its sanctions-related provisions and contract clauses for assistance and acquisition awards. A primary factor under review is whether to expand reporting requirements to enhance USAID's monitoring of recipients' and contractors' activities involving sanctioned jurisdictions or sanctioned individuals and entities subject to the sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will meet on September 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 3884, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Heads of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party called on the Commerce Department to explain what steps and authorities are needed to address the "white label" resale of drones made by Chinese maker DJI by Hong Kong and Texas firms,

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced three new Frequently Asked Questions updates, one "basic information," clarifying First amendment protections, and two related to updated Cuban sanctions regulations.

The Justice Department unsealed a criminal complaint charging a Hungarian national with violations of U.S. export controls targeting Russia, including by conspiring with others to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without a license.  Bence Horvath is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA). He was arrested on arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on Aug. 23.

BIS invites comment on the following proposed and continuing information collections: Chemical Weapons Convention Provisions, two rarely used short supply activities, and Section 232 Surveys designed to gather information so that BIS can evaluate the impact of foreign imports of strategic commodities on the national security of the United States.

A Pennsylvania flashlight manufacturer is the latest US firm to get caught up in antiboycott violations related to participating in trade shows in the Middle East. Streamlight, Inc. paid the Commerce Department a $44,750 penalty to resolve three alleged violations of the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). 

The United States joined a whistleblower suit and filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) asserting claims that those defendants knowingly failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. The whistleblower suit was initiated by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity team.

The Commerce Department Friday announced its list of critical sectors and key goods for potential cooperation under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement to strengthen supply chain resiliency.  Under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement, each Party committed to developing a list of “critical sectors” and “key goods” for cooperation under the Agreement, to be shared through the Council. These lists are intended to be iterative and change as needed over time.

The U.K. governemnt has published a Licence allowing the export of dual-use items or military goods software or technology and trade of military goods, to, between and among Australia, the USA and the UK, in furtherance of the AUKUS Treaty. This open general licence (OGL) permits, subject to certain conditions, the export of dual-use items or military goods software or technology and trade of military goods, to, between and among Australia, the US and the UK. This includes re-exporting goods, software or technology to and from permitted destinations, even if they have been incorporated into other products.

Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez is traveling to South America for official discussions on critical minerals supply chains and developments in the Americas Partnership. Mr. Fernandez is visiting Argentina, Ecuador and Peru through August 29.