The Foreign-Trade Zones Board posted a reminder on its website that FTZ grantees must submit their 2013 Annual Reports through the Online FTZ Information System (OFIS) by March 31. The FTZ Board also posted to its website information for grantees on submission of the reports, including questions and answers from a 2012 webinar on the reports (here) and notes for preparing report data (here).
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board is establishing a new FTZ around Rochester, N.Y., it said in a March 20 Federal Register notice. New FTZ 289 will serve Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Yates, Steuben and Livingston Counties under the alternative site framework, which provides a streamlined process for companies to apply for subzone status. The zone was requested by Ontario County in August (see 13082715). It will be the third FTZ in the Rochester area, with FTZ 141 and FTZ 284 already serving Monroe and Genesee Counties, respectively.
The Commerce Department’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee will meet April 8 in Washington, D.C. to discuss export financing. Specifically, subcommittees will discuss U.S. government financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency exports, the development of new financial products, and international or multilateral financing. The meeting will be open to the public. Pre-registration is required by April 4.
The U.S. Census Bureau on March 20 released trouble-shooting techniques to resolve frequent Fatal Error notification issues in the Automated Export System (AES). Fatal Errors occur when a shipment is rejected.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) will lead a trade promotion mission to Panama and Columbia Sept. 22-26 for companies in the U.S. safety and security industries. The mission will include a port and infrastructure security industry focus, it said. In each country, business-to-business matchmaking appointments will be held for participants and local companies, as well as networking events and market briefings. The ITA will accept applications on a rolling basis until June 20.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security updated the Code of Federal Regulations legal authority in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to extend the National Emergency With Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process. The extension is in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This final rule is procedural and has no impact on EAR compliance. The rule is effective March 19.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for March 18:
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for March 17:
The Nogales-Santa Cruz Economic Development Foundation has submitted an application to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to reorganize FTZ 60 under the Alternative Site Framework, said the FTZ Board in a Federal Register notice. Under the reorganization, the service area would cover Santa Cruz County, Arizona, which includes the Nogales border crossing. ASF streamlines processes for designation of new FTZ subzones and usage driven sites within the service area by allowing companies to request zone status through the relatively simple "minor boundary modification" process. Comments on the application are due by May 19.
President Barack Obama’s Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) budget request includes $3.3 million in International Trade Administration export promotion programs that launched in FY14, said the ITA in a March 13 press release. “With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S. border, the requested budget will allow us to increase our efforts to assist U.S. companies interested in exploring the opportunities provided by exporting their goods and services,” said Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Ken Hyatt. “The requested budget will also enable us to continue to communicate our open investment policy and advocate for the United States as a premier investment destination.” The budget recommends changing the name of the International Trade Administration to the International Trade and Investment Administration, and would increase funding for the agency 8 percent over the 2014 enacted level (see 14030506).