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Commerce Department Issues Interim Rule to Secure the ICTS Supply Chain

WASHINGTON (January 14, 2021) – 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 Nation’s ICTS supply chain, and, for the purposes of this rule, identifies six foreign governments or foreign non-government persons as foreign adversaries: the People’s Republic of China (China), the Russian Federation (Russia), the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Republic of Cuba (Cuba), and Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro (Maduro Regime).

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Commerce Adds China National Overseas Oil Corporation to the Entity List and Skyrizon to the Military End-User List

WASHINGTON (January 14, 2021) – Today,  the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the Department of Commerce (Commerce) added Chinese National Overseas 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, or maintain military items, such as military aircraft engines.

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Commerce Tightens Controls to Prevent Support of Foreign Military-Intelligence and WMD Activities

WASHINGTON (January 14, 2021) – 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 supporting unauthorized weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, including weapons delivery systems and production facilities.

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Commerce Secretary Signs MOU Establishing U.S. Trade Zone in Kingdom of Bahrain

WASHINGTON (January 13, 2021) – 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 Kingdom of Bahrain H.E. Zayed R. Alzayani.

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