The Commerce Department is strengthening its military end-use and end-user controls on microprocessors in the Export Administration Regulations (here). Specifically, Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security is “expanding the scope of microprocessors subject to the restriction to harmonize with technological advances to microprocessor chips.” BIS is expanding the scope of controls on software and technology that can be used for the development and manufacture of those chips, as well. This new rule also bars the use of license exceptions for exports, reexports and transfers of microprocessors subject to the military end-use or end-user restrictions, including through license exception ENC. Further, BIS is expanding controls to cover in-country transfers of U.S. military end-use sales of microprocessors in the destination country. The rule is effective on Dec. 17.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Dec. 16:
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Dec. 15:
The ongoing U.S.-China dispute over antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese solar panels is unlikely to affect the upcoming Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in a Dec. 12 conference call with reporters. “The timing of any determination is based on the law and the specificity of that case,” said Pritzker. Commerce’s final determination is set to be released on Dec. 15 (see 1412090018). The JCCT kicks off the following day (here).
The Commerce Department set the 12-month 2015 value-added tariff preference level for certain apparel imported directly from Haiti (HTS 9820.61.25 for entry specific claims or 9820.61.30 for aggregate claims) eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act (HOPE) (here). For the one-year period beginning on Dec. 20, 2014 and extending through Dec. 19, 2015, the recalculated quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added TPL is 332,915,916 square meters equivalent (SME), an increase of about 10 million SME over 2014 levels. Apparel articles entered in excess of this TPL will be subject to otherwise applicable duty rates.
The Commerce and Energy Departments will jointly lead an export promotion mission to China in April 2015 for companies in the energy efficiency sector, said Commerce in a notice (here). The delegation will consist of senior executives from 20-25 U.S. companies, and will include business-to-government and business-to-business meetings, market briefings, and networking events, said Commerce. Applications to participate are due Jan. 23.
The Commerce Department unveiled on Dec. 8 a new policy to inform exporters of the scope of their license authorizations issued by Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (here). The new notice, which aims to eliminate confusion related to the license scope and will appear on all valid licenses, will read as follows:
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Dec. 5:
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Dec. 2:
The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration is set to lead a delegation of infrastructure and energy equipment companies on a trade mission to Morocco, Egypt and Jordan from Dec. 3-11 (here). The mission aims to boost U.S. trade with the three countries, and will include meetings with government officials and potential private industry partners on tariff rates and regulatory policies. Eleven U.S. companies will join ITA on the trip. Those companies specialize in wide-ranging manufacturing, from dredging to solar energy equipment.