Yesterday, an official Order by the Court in the National Urban League case was issued in which the Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Bureau are defendants. The Order enters a Stipulation for a 21-day stay in the case, and all necessary and appropriate steps must be taken to ensure compliance with the Court’s Stipulation and Order. Accordingly, all Department of Commerce employees who have...

Pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13873, “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Supply Chain,” today U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross issued an interim final rule to address the national security, economic security, and public health and safety concerns related to ICTS Transactions. The rule will ensure the resilience of, and trust in, our...

Today, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the Department of Commerce (Commerce) added Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to the Entity List and Chinese company Skyrizon to the Military End-User (MEU) List. Both companies threaten U.S. national security, CNOOC by helping China intimidate neighbors in the South China Sea and Skyrizon for its capability to develop, produce...

Today, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the Department of Commerce (Commerce) imposed new controls on any U.S. technologies and specific activities of U.S. persons who may be supporting foreign military-intelligence end uses and end users in China, Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela, as well as in terrorist-supporting countries. BIS is also enhancing controls to prevent U.S. persons from...

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Enhance U.S.-Bahrain Trade through the Establishment of a U.S. Trade Zone (USTZ) in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The MoU was signed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism in the...

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (E.O.) titled, “Addressing the Threat Posed by Applications and other Software Developed or Controlled by Chinese Companies.” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross issued the following statement in response: "Consistent with the authorities designated to the Secretary of Commerce from the President, I have directed my Department to begin...

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the creation of the Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis (AIM) system, which will enable Commerce to collect and publish data on aluminum imports. AIM is modeled on Commerce’s successful Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system. “AIM represents yet another step forward for the Administration’s America First trade agenda,” said Secretary...

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding a new ‘Military End User’ (MEU) List, as well as the first tranche of 103 entities, which includes 58 Chinese and 45 Russian companies. The U.S. Government has determined that these companies are ‘military end users’ for purposes of the ‘military end user’ control in the EAR that applies to...

Thank you, Chairman Reed and Directors Bachus and Pryor, for your leadership of this Board, and for your work developing the proposal we are considering today, permitting EXIM to provide full financing packages for exports in designated transformational sectors containing at least 51 percent U.S. content. This change is an update over the current policy which stipulates an 85 percent requirement...

Today, the Commerce Department added 77 entities to the Entity List for actions deemed contrary to the national security or foreign policy interest of the United States. These include entities in China that enable human rights abuses, entities that supported the militarization and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea, entities that acquired U.S.-origin items in support of the People’s...