The American Apparel and Footwear Association called on President Joe Biden to help restart labor contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, in a letter dated March 12. The labor contract covering East Coast and Gulf Coast ports expires at the end of September, and the negotiations have been stalled since March 2023, the AAFA said.

To enhance U.S. and allied restrictions on dual-use exports, the Biden administration’s FY 2025 budget request, unveiled March 11, would provide $223 million for the Bureau of Industry and Security, up 17%, or $32 million, from the FY 2024 enacted level of $191 million, the Commerce Department said.

The State Department approved a potential military sale to North Macedonia worth about $111 million, the Defense Security Cooperation agency said March 8. The sale includes “Joint Light Tactical Vehicles” and other “elements of logistics and program support.” The principal contractors will be Oshkosh Defense, AM General, Leonardo DRS and L3Harris.

The State Department approved two potential military sales, to Canada and South Korea, worth more than $300 million combined.

U.S. companies that sell defense products or services to foreign countries or entities must report all offsets agreements greater than $5 million to the Bureau of Industry and Security by June 15, the agency said in a notice. Companies also must report 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,” the notice said. Commerce is asking for reports of offsets transactions that took place during calendar year 2023.

American chip company Applied Materials has received multiple U.S. government subpoenas in recent months -- including one from the Bureau of Industry and Security -- asking for information about its exports to Chinese customers.

The State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group is accepting membership applications from subject-matter experts in the U.S. defense industry, the agency said in a notice this week. Members serve a consecutive two-year term and submit recommendations to improve the agency’s export control regime. Applications must be emailed or postmarked by March 26.

The State Department approved a potential military sale to Germany for $281 million worth of “Ultra-High Frequency” radios and related equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Feb. 27. The principal contractor will be L3Harris Global Communications.

Most companies applying for funding under the Chips Act (see 2309220035 and 2306280038) aren’t going to get the money they want, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said this week. The agency has gotten more than 600 “statements of interest” from semiconductor companies, she said, and Commerce has had to have “tough conversations” with those businesses about what kind of funding they can realistically expect.

The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee’s Export Modernization Working Group published a draft recommendation and a summary of its recent work ahead of the COAC’s March 6 meeting (see 2402150016).