CBP seized eight pounds of marijuana headed to Bermuda a week after it seized 72 pounds of marijuana headed for Ireland, the agency said in a pair of notices.
The State Department approved two potential military sales to Poland and Slovakia worth more than $350 million combined, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said May 9. The $124.7 million sale to Poland includes “Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods and related equipment,” and the principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin. The $250 million sale to Slovakia includes “M1278A1/A2 Heavy Gun Carriers Joint Light Tactical Vehicles” and related equipment, and the principal contractors will be Oshkosh Corp. and Oshkosh Defense.
The Department of Defense this week released its National Defense Science and Technology Strategy, outlining the agency's technology priorities and goals along with recommendations for “the future of the defense research and engineering enterprise.” The strategy says technology “protection” is “vital” for the U.S. military to maintain its advantages. “While we must accept some degree of risk to catalyze innovation, we must also protect sensitive technologies and military programs from theft, diversion, and exploitation by our strategic competitors,” the agency said. “We will build our technological edge using carefully targeted controls and by working closely with our allies and partners to jointly and effectively protect our collective research, development, and innovation efforts, including warfighting concepts and capabilities during joint experimentation.”
Brookfield Business Partners, a private equity firm, recently received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to sell nuclear power company Westinghouse Electric, Brookfield said in a May 5 news release. The company last year said it planned to sell Westinghouse to a consortium led by Canada-based Cameco, a uranium mining company. Brookfield said it’s “progressing other regulatory approvals required to close the transaction which is expected in the third quarter of 2023.”
The State Department approved a potential $207 million military sale to Australia, the Defense Security Cooperation agency said May 4. The sale includes “Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Expeditionary (SURTASS-E) mission systems for Vessels of Opportunity (VOO)” and related equipment, and the principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin-Syracuse and Lockheed Martin-Manassas.
Although National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (see 2304270066) and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (see 2304200058) confirmed in recent weeks that the administration is working on an outbound investment screening mechanism, their “vague” descriptions of the tool suggests the process has been difficult, a technology policy expert said. Martin Chorzempa, a research fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote in a May 3 post that the administration appears to be “having a challenging time balancing the planned restrictions against the concerns of a private sector that continues to have a stake in Chinese investments.”
The Biden administration this week released a national strategy for critical and emerging technology standards and outlined plans to strengthen American leadership in international standards bodies. The administration hopes the strategy helps the U.S. better work with allies to develop technologies that are “more accessible and sold more broadly across the globe, furthering market reach and helping to drive growth in our economies,” a senior administration official said during a May 3 call with reporters.
The State Department approved a potential $650 million military sale to the Czech Republic, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said May 3. The sale includes “AH-1Z and UH-1Y Refurbishment/Modernization” and related equipment, and the principal contractors will be Bell Helicopter and General Electric.
The State Department approved a potential $110 million military sale to Latvia, the Defense Security Cooperation agency said May 2. The sale includes a “Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defense System” and related equipment. The principal contractor hasn’t yet been determined.
Governments globally should “proceed carefully” when considering new trade restrictions on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to avoid “unduly” restricting current semiconductor innovation, the Semiconductor Industry Association said last week. The group said PFAS “are used in a wide range of industrial processes and consumer products,” and although some may present “environmental and health concerns,” governments should avoid controlling uses of the substances that may not present health and environmental risks.