The Bureau of Industry and Security (here) and State Department (here) revealed their respective plans to clarify and harmonize export control regulations, in their sections of the Fall 2015 Unified Agenda. BIS now plans to issue a proposed rule in February based on comments it received on harmonizing the BIS Export Administration Regulations with the State Department’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see 1505210043). BIS also said it intends to finalize proposals to harmonize EAR definitions with the ITAR in December, though the State Department’s schedule doesn’t show its concurrent rule being issued until May (see 1506020016). BIS said changes to harmonize EAR destination control statements with the ITAR are set for February (see 1505210063).
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
The Commerce Department is announcing the beginning of a pilot to test the filing in the Automated Commercial Environment’s Document Imaging System of certain documents required for importation of uranium from Russia. Under the pilot, electronic filing in DIS will replace the current paper process for submitting documentation required under an antidumping duty suspension agreement. Documents filed through DIS would include export licenses and certificates, declarations of intent to re-export, processor and end-user certifications, purchase or delivery orders, origin certifications and anticircumvention certifications. In addition to filing with CBP through DIS, documentation would still also have to be filed with Commerce through the ACCESS electronic filing system. The pilot will begin no earlier than Nov. 20, said Commerce.
On Nov. 18 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
On Nov. 17 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
On Nov. 10 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Commerce Department is conducting unprecedented levels of investigations into U.S. export diversion as enforcement officials boost end-use checks and expand outreach to U.S. companies, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement David Mills in a Nov. 3 speech at the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Update conference. Commerce is ramping up export investigations globally, particularly on Russia and China shipments, he said, noting that the U.S. has come “full circle from the Cold War era” in its export outlook on Russia. The U.S. is also targeting Islamic State “procurement of U.S.-origin items, like spare parts for oil refining, which fund their reign of terror across the Levant.”
On Nov. 2 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Nov. 2 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The U.S. appears to have cut barriers to leather footwear exports to Japan through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the American Apparel and Footwear Association said in comments (here) to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for the 2015 National Trade Estimate report. U.S. apparel groups and retailers have long fought to dismantle those barriers, which involve a strict tariff-rate quota (see 14040816). USTR hasn’t yet disclosed the text of the TPP pact. The agency asked for industry comments in April (see 1508180030).
On Oct. 29 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports: