Bureau of Industry and Security 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In response to the Russian Federation's (Russia's) ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the Department of Commerce is expanding the existing sanctions against Russia and Belarus by imposing new export controls, including expanding the scope of the Russian industry sector sanctions to add lower-level items potentially useful for Russia's chemical and biological weapons production capabilities and items needed for advanced production and development capabilities to enable advanced manufacturing across a number of industries. This rule also adds Belarus to the scope of industry sector sanctions that currently apply solely to Russia. With respect to end users, this rule expands the `military end user' and `military-intelligence end user' controls and applies the Russian/Belarusian-Military End User Foreign Direct Product (FDP) rule to ten existing entries for six existing entities that have continued to supply Russian entities on the Entity List or are under sanction since Russia's further invasion of Ukraine. Labeling these six entities as Russian `military end users' and applying the Russia/Belarus-Military End User FDP rule to them will degrade Russia's war efforts in Ukraine, as these entities produce items needed by the Russian and Belarussian military and industrial sectors. Correspondingly, this rule clarifies requirements related to Burma, Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, and Venezuela). Finally, this rule refines existing controls on Russia and Belarus by adding additional dollar value exclusion thresholds for `luxury goods;' and makes twelve corrections and clarifications to existing controls on Russia and Belarus. The Department of Commerce is taking these actions to clarify and enhance the effectiveness of U.S. controls and to better align its controls on both Russia and Belarus with those implemented by U.S. allies.

In this interim final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to authorize the release of specified items subject to the EAR without a license when that release occurs in the context of a ``standards- related activity,'' as defined in this rule. BIS is revising the terms used in the EAR to describe the actions permissible under the authorization rather than defining the organizations to which it applies. The scope of the authorization is revised to include certain ``technology'' as well as ``software'' and applies to all entities listed on BIS's Entity List. The uncertainty of not knowing whether other entities listed on the Entity List are participants in standards organizations and whether a BIS license is required to release low- level technology for legitimate standards activities has caused U.S. companies to limit their participation in standards-related activities in areas that are critical to U.S. national security. This authorization only overcomes licensing requirements imposed as a result of an entity's inclusion on the Entity List; other EAR licensing requirements, including additional end-use or end-user based licensing requirements may continue to apply. This final rule does not change the assessment of whether ``technology'' or ``software'' is subject to the EAR. BIS is making these revisions to ensure that export controls and associated compliance concerns as they relate to the Entity List do not impede the leadership and participation of U.S. companies in national and international standards-related activities

The Department of Commerce is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding seven entities under seven entries to the Entity List. These entities have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States and will be listed on the Entity List under the destination of the People's Republic of China (China). This final rule also corrects typographical errors in two existing entries on the Entity List.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) maintains, as part of its Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Commerce Control List (CCL), which identifies certain items subject to Department of Commerce (Commerce) jurisdiction. Commerce is revising the CCL, as well as corresponding parts of the EAR, to implement controls on four technologies. These changes reflect certain controls decided by governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (WA) at the December 2021 WA Plenary meeting. These four technologies meet the criteria of Section 1758 of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) pertaining to emerging and foundational technologies. Accordingly, BIS is accelerating their publication in this interim final rule and will publish the remaining WA-agreed controls in a later rule. These technologies are two substrates of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors (Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) and diamond), Electronic Computer Aided Design (ECAD) software specially designed for the development of integrated circuits with any Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistor (GAAFET) structure, and pressure gain combustion (PGC) technology for the production and development of gas turbine engine components or systems.

This notice is to remind the public that U.S. firms are required to report annually to the Department of Commerce (Commerce) information on contracts for the sale of defense articles or defense services to foreign countries or foreign firms that are subject to offsets agreements exceeding $5,000,000 in value. U.S. firms are also required to report annually to Commerce information on offsets transactions completed in performance of existing offsets commitments for which offsets credit of $250,000 or more has been claimed from the foreign representative. This year, such reports must include relevant information from calendar year 2021 and must be submitted to Commerce no later than June 15, 2022.

In response to the Russian Federation's (Russia's) further invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Department of Commerce is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding 91 new entities to the Entity List under the destinations of Belize, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malta, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, and United Kingdom with this final rule. These 91 entities have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the foreign policy or national security interests of the United States.

In response to the Russian Federation's (Russia's) further invasion of Ukraine, the Department of Commerce is expanding the existing sanctions against the Russian industry sector by adding a new prohibition under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that targets the oil refinery sector in Russia. These new export controls will further limit revenue that could support the military capabilities of Russia.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is hereby seeking public comments regarding the Section 232 exclusions process. A presidential proclamation (Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States), published on January 3, 2022, directed the Secretary of Commerce to seek public comment on the Section 232 exclusions process, including the responsiveness of the exclusions process to market demand and enhanced consultation with U.S. firms and labor organizations.