26-0729: Wednesday's "Export/Import Daily Bugle"

1. State/DDTC Seeks Comments on ITAR Part 129 Annual Brokering Report

(Source: 91 FR 47914, 29 Jul 2026)

2. President Continues National Emergency with Respect to Brazil

(Source: 91 FR 47929, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

3. Future Federal Register (No items of interest.)

(Source: Future Federal Register)

4. CBP Cargo Systems Messages

(Source: DHS/CBP/CSMS)

5. CBP Events in August 2026

(Source: OTR Webinars)

6. Commerce/BIS (Nothing new.)

(Source: Commerce/BIS)

7. OMB/OIRA DDTC Reviews: Clarifying ITAR Policies of Denial, Updating the Major Non-NATO Ally List, and Minor Corrections

(Source: OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs)

8. State/DDTC (Nothing new.)

(Source: State/DDTC)

9. Treasury/OFAC Updates SDN and Blocked Persons List

(Source: Treasury/OFAC)

The SDN list has recently been updated. Visit this page to access the latest version of the SDN list. Visit this link for more information.

10. White House Executive Actions: (No items of interest.)

(Source: The White House)

11. Breaking Defense: "Commerce Aims to Speed Advocacy Timelines for Foreign Weapon Sales"

(Source: Breaking Defense News 29 Jul 2026)

FARNBOROUGH — The Department of Commerce is dedicated to increased advocacy for the US defense industry in order to push for greater sales abroad amidst international competition, key department officials told Breaking Defense.
     William Kimmitt, undersecretary of commerce for international trade, acknowledged during an interview at the Farnborough Airshow last week that he has heard directly from US industry that there are concerns that Europe's increased defense spending will trend towards non-American products. . . .
     To help counter that, Commerce has stepped up its role in advocating for US firms — quite literally, helping spread the message to other countries that they should be looking at specific potential defense procurements. . . .
     "We'll actually work with the interagency, with State and [the Pentagon], and say, hey, is this something that we indeed support? And there are some requirements — we make sure it's a US company, there's appropriate US export content, so it ultimately creates US jobs, and then we also make sure there's actually foreign demand," Rodriguez said.
     . . . [Full article]

12. Expeditors News: "U.S. and Jordan Sign Agreement on Reciprocal Trade"

(Source: Expeditors News, 28 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

In a press release published on July 21, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the signing of a reciprocal trade agreement with Jordan.

The U.S.-Jordan Agreement on Reciprocal Trade's key provisions include:

The agreement will enter into force 60 days after both parties have notified each other that their respective internal procedures have been completed.
     USTR's press release and a link to the agreement can be found HERE.

13. MLQ: "Taiwan Detains Nvidia Employee in Widening China Chip Smuggling Probe"

(Source: MLQ.ai News, 28 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

Key points:

[Full article]

14. ST&R Trade Report: "What the New Trade Fraud Enforcement Guide Means for Importers"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

A recently-published resource guide underscores that the U.S. government has significantly elevated its posture on trade fraud enforcement and signals a more aggressive and coordinated approach that importers are already starting to see. The guide may also represent a benchmark that authorities will use in pursuing future enforcement actions.
     For companies engaged in international trade, the message is clear: customs compliance is no longer viewed simply as an administrative function. It is now treated as a core corporate risk area with potentially significant civil, criminal, and reputational consequences. As such, importers should strongly consider shifting from a reactive to a proactive stance on trade compliance issues. . . .
     [Full article]

15. Arent Fox: "As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns"

(Source: ArentFox Perspectives/Alerts, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Primary Author: Angela M. Santos, ArentFox Schiff LLP

Welcome to the July 2026 issue of "As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns," our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. In this July 2026 edition, we cover:

16. Baker/McKenzie: "UK / INDIA: UK-India Free Trade Agreement enters into force"

(Source: Global Sanctions and Export Controls Blog, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Jessica Mutton (UK); Baker Mckenzie

Following negotiations which began in 2022, the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, formally known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force on 15 July 2026.
     CETA constitutes one of the UK's most significant trade agreements since Brexit took effect and signifying improved market access and supply chain opportunities for businesses whose supply chains have links to the two territories.
     Reduced tariffs. For many businesses, the key benefit of CETA will be the significant tariff savings and better market access for companies trading between the UK and India. Under the agreement, Indian exporters will benefit from enhanced access to the UK market due to the fact that 99% of goods originating in India can be imported into the UK duty free or with reduced tariffs. UK businesses sourcing from India may also benefit from lower import costs and greater supply chain diversification. . . . [Full article]

17. Hogan Lovells: "Indonesia's New Export Controls Regime: What Mining, Natural Resources and Oil & Gas Companies Need to Know"

(Source: Hogan Lovells Engage, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Rob Palmer (Singapore), Hogan Lovells Cadwalader LLP

Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of coal, palm oil, and nickel (with combined exports exceeding US$65 billion in 2025) and ranks 4th globally for liquefied natural gas. Recent plans to centralise control of the country's strategic exports in a single state-owned entity—including setting export prices—could represent a significant intervention in global commodity markets by an important resource-producing nation and disrupt existing contractual relationships. However, the final form and level of state involvement is still uncertain following concerns raised by industry participants.
     In this article, we summarise key elements of the proposed export controls (still developing in parallel with industry consultation) and discuss the practical implications for foreign companies investing in Indonesia's mining, resources, and energy sectors, as well as companies exporting commodities from Indonesia, setting out recommended actions for companies exposed to commodity supply chains. . . . [Full article]

18. Troutman: "Forced Labor, Meet Section 301: New Tariffs Target 60 of America's Biggest Trading Partners"

(Source: Troutman Pepper Locke, 24 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Author: Ryan Last, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

Key Points

19. Volkov: "Is a Quiet Compliance Hotline Really Good News?"

(Source: Volkov Law, 28 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Michael Volkov, Volkov Law Group LLC

In the compliance world, no news is not good news. Let me ask you a question every CCO should be asking right now: Are your employees actually reporting and using your hotline to report legitimate concerns?
     Too many compliance officers look at a quiet hotline and breathe a sigh of relief. No calls, no complaints. Must mean everything's fine. I'm here to tell you that's backward. A silent speak-up line isn't good news. It's a red flag.
     Here's why: misconduct doesn't disappear just because nobody's reporting it. What disappears is trust. Trust that raising an issue will be taken seriously. Trust that there's no retaliation waiting on the other side.
     When that trust is gone, people don't stop seeing problems. They just stop telling you about them, and that's exactly when whistleblower risk goes up, not down, because the next person who sees something is going straight to the regulator instead of you.
     So benchmark your reporting volume against your industry. Look at your trends over time. If your numbers are flat or falling while everyone around you is seeing increases, don't celebrate. Investigate.

20. Skill Dynamics Presents: "The Fundamentals of U.S. Export Regulations" 13-15 October 2026 in Dallas

(Source: Skill Dynamics (previously Content Enablers))

21. List of Export/Import Job Openings

(Source: Editor)

23. Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations

(Source: Brainy Quotes)

* Alexis de Tocqueville (Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville; 29 Jul 1805 – 16 Apr 1859; was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, and historian. He is best known for his work Democracy in America, published after his travels in the United States, and is today considered a seminal work of sociology and political science.)

- "A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it."

- "Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom."

- "Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude."

* Don Marquis (Donald Robert Perry Marquis; 29 Jul 1878 – 29 Dec 1937; was an American humorist, journalist, and author. He was a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright.)

- "When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?'"

- "Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness."

- "Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two, he will feel as good as ever."

24. Today in History (Source: History Channel)

1921: On July 29, 1921, Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party. Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany as a totalitarian state from 1933 to 1945.

25. Do You Need to Update Your Daily Bugle Profile?

(Source: Editor)

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26. Are Your Copies of Export/Import Regulations Current?

(Source: Editor)

The official versions of the following regulations are published annually in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) but are updated as amended in the Federal Register. The latest amendments are listed below.