On May 1, 2020, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) announced temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in light of the current public health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 virus. Changes include two-month extensions for ITAR registration renewal and payments of associated fees, six-month extensions of licenses and agreements set to expire, and allowing regular employees of licensed entities to work from remote locations and send, receive, or access technical data for export, reexport, or retransfer from any country other than Russia or those listed in ITAR § 126.1. Unless otherwise extended, these temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions are set to expire on July 31, 2020.
In addition, on May 6, DDTC announced a temporary reduction in Tier I and Tier II registration fees to $500, projecting a savings of over $20 million to businesses in the coming year. These reduced registration fees will continue to be in effect until April 30, 2021.
For more information on how these could impact your business, contact:
- Martin Lutz, Partner (mlutz@mcginnislaw.com, 512-495-6024),
- Lindsey Roskopf, Attorney (lroskopf@mcginnislaw.com, 713-615-8534), or
- Another member of the McGinnis Lochridge International Trade and Transactions Practice Group