# 2026-19404: State Dept 'Fixes' Arms Rules: Saudi Arabia Joins Elite Ally Club

2026-19404, International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Clarifying Policies of Denial, Updating the Major Non-NATO Ally List, and Minor Corrections; Corrections, is a Federal Register rule from State Department published 2026-09-23, effective 2026-09-23; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19404
- As of: 2026-09-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19404
- Title: International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Clarifying Policies of Denial, Updating the Major Non-NATO Ally List, and Minor Corrections; Corrections
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: State Department
- Citation: 91 FR 60299
- Published: 2026-09-23
- Effective: 2026-09-23
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 1400-AG31
- Last updated: 2026-09-30

## In one line

State Dept 'Fixes' Arms Rules: Saudi Arabia Joins Elite Ally Club

## Summary

The Department of State fixed some mistakes in recent rules about arms exports, making sure important parts about denying exports and country listings stay clear and correct. They updated the list of major non-NATO allies by adding Saudi Arabia and Peru, and clarified policies for Ethiopia and Somalia. These corrections take effect on September 23, 2026, and affect anyone dealing with international arms trade regulations.

## Abstract

On September 18, 2026, the Department of State revised the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to clarify certain policy-of-denial provisions, update country policies for Ethiopia and Somalia, add Saudi Arabia and Peru to the list of major non-NATO allies, and make other miscellaneous corrections. That document included incorrect amendatory instructions resulting in the inadvertent removal of regulatory text. This document corrects the final regulations.

## Effects PRIA read

- University technical-data exemption restored: benefit, low. The rule reinserts an exemption in Sec. 125.4(b)(10) allowing U.S. institutions of higher learning to release unclassified technical data in the U.S. to their bona fide, full-time regular foreign employees only if: (i) the employee's permanent abode is in the United States during employment; (ii) t…
- Clarified exceptions to denial policy: benefit, low. Sec. 126.1(a) was revised to reinsert explicit exceptions to the general policy of denying licenses for exports to proscribed countries. The rule lists three exceptions: transfers pursuant to certain other ITAR sections (e.g., Sec. 123.17, Sec. 125.4(b)(13), Sec. 126.6, Sec. 126.18(e)); transfers b…
- Saudi Arabia and Peru added to MNNA list: benefit, medium. The Department added Saudi Arabia and Peru to the list of major non‑NATO allies as part of the ITAR revisions described in the September 18, 2026 rule and corrected on September 23, 2026. This change to the country list is effective September 23, 2026.
- Country policies for Ethiopia and Somalia updated: benefit, low. The Department states it updated country policies for Ethiopia and Somalia as part of the September 18, 2026 ITAR revisions and corrected on September 23, 2026. The document does not provide further detail within the correction but records that those country policies were updated effective Septembe…

## Related documents

- [2026-20079](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20079): International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR): Review of the U.S. Munitions List and Related Definitions and License Exemptions, 2026-10-01
- [2026-17655](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17655): Passports: Expanding Online Passport Renewal Overseas, 2026-08-28
- [2026-04931](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-04931): Schedule of Fees for Consular Services-Fee for Administrative Processing of Request for Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United St…, 2026-03-13
- [2025-17851](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-17851): Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates-Visa Services Fee Changes, 2025-09-16
- [2025-14826](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-14826): Visas: Visa Bond Pilot Program, 2025-08-05
- [2026-20082](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20082): International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Syria Country Policy Revision, 2026-10-01

## Sources
- [2026-19404 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/23/2026-19404/international-traffic-in-arms-regulations-clarifying-policies-of-denial-updating-the-major-non-nato)
- [2026-19404 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-23/pdf/2026-19404.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19403, Amendment to the Uniform Procedures for State Highway Safety Grant Programs](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19403)
- [Next: 2026-19421, Publication of International Criminal Court-Related Sanctions Regulations Web G…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19421)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19404 (as of 2026-09-30).