The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today announced that Brendan Lynch will serve as the Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.   Lynch had served as the Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia since March of 2023. His more than ten years with the USTR have included posts as Director for India and Director of Agricultural Affairs.

Beleaguered Swedish telecoms maker Ericsson has shaken up its compliance operation once again, naming Becky Rohr, current head of investigations, head of compliance as well.  Jan Sprafke, appointed compliance chief six months ago, will be leaving the company.     Ms. Rohr was previously Vice President, Anti-Corruption and Global Trade, Ethics & Compliance Office at Hewlett Packard, and held numerous roles in civil and criminal fraud prosecution in the Justice Department.  She will keep her office in Washington, DC.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs “the Bureau” is accepting membership applications for the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG). The Bureau is interested in applications from subject matter experts from the United States defense industry, relevant trade and labor associations, and academic and foundation personnel.

Akin Gump announced Opher Shweiki, former Commerce Department Chief Counsel for the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), has joined as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. Prior to his role at BIS, Shweiki was the National Security and Cybercrime Coordinator at the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, the most strident anti-communist to come out of Wisconsin's Fox River Valley since Sen. Joseph McCarthy, has had enough of the House of Representatives.    Mr. Gallagher told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he will leave Congress at the end of his current term to enter the private sector and spend more time with his young family.  

Chad P. Bown is the new State Department Chief Economist, serving as the Secretary of State’s most senior advisor on economics. Mr. Bown has been senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics since 2016. There, His research examined international trade laws and institutions, trade negotiations, and trade disputes.  Much of his published research has addressed the WTO Dispute Settlement process.

The rumored departure of Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi was made official with a Saturday announcement January 27. Ms. Bianchi, a highly regarded policy advisor had responsibilities for for Asia, Africa, Investment, Services, Textiles, and Industrial Competitiveness.

Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown is opposing the nomination of Nelson Cunningham for the position of Deputy US Trade Representative, citing Mr. Cunningham’s past support for the TransPacific Partnership. “My values have always been clear: I will only support trade nominees who have rejected the failed policies of the past and have a demonstrated record of standing on the side of workers,”  Sen. Brown said in a statement.

 Michael Vaccaro is the new permanent Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Trade, responsible for The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).

Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that Elizabeth “Liz” Cannon will serve as the first Executive Director of the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) beginning on Monday, January 22, 2024. OICTS is charged with implementing a series of Executive Orders (EOs) under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) focused on protecting domestic information and communications systems from threats posed by foreign adversaries.

Bringing in a longtime confidant and boldface Washington player as point on trade as his campaign kicks off,  President Biden announced his intent to nominate Washington lobbyist Nelson Cunningham as Deputy United States Trade Representative. Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden said. “Experience representing the interests of multinationals is not the same as considering the views of workers in Toledo and small business owners in Medford. While I’m looking forward to fully vetting this nomination and considering how the Finance Committee will proceed, I would like to see candidates with more diverse and representative experience.”

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the appointment of Juan A. Millián as Acting General Counsel, replacing Greta Peisch Mr. Millán most recently served as the Deputy General Counsel for Monitoring and Enforcement in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). From 2005 to 2012, he was Legal Advisor and Senior Legal Advisor at the U.S. Mission to the WTO in Geneva.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has announced that Bryant Trick will serve as the Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East. Trick had served as the Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East since September 5, 2023.

Oregon Democrat Rep.Earl Blumenauer – who has taken an active role in trade legislation – has announced he will not seek reelection.

Deputy US Trade Representative Jayme White is planning to leave his post at the US Trade Representative’s Office effective November 1.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Nov. 2 that Cara Morrow is taking on the position of senior advisor, overseeing close coordination with the Office of Western Hemisphere, the Office of Europe and the Middle East, the Office of Labor Affairs and the Office of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Bureau of Industry & Security published an advisory opinion on the release of licensed technology to employees of the foreign subsidiary while on temporary work assignment at the home office.  No additional deemed export license is required for these employees, while any new “technology” or “software” that is either “released” to those employees in the United States or created in the United States that is not authorized by the existing BIS license would require a new export license or other authorization from BIS.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced that Andrea Gacki has been appointed as the new Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Previously, Gacki served as the head of the …

Former senior London police officer, Nick Ephgrave, is set to lead the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The agency, known for investigating major business crimes, recently faced controversies and …

Gateway Recruiting released the results of its 2023 Trade Compliance Salary survey.  The survey shows that the demand for trade compliance professionals remains strong and the pool of qualified candidates remains limited.  This year, the data interestingly shows a rise in compensation within the U.S, while witnessing a drop across most of the rest of the globe.