The Commerce Department settled a civil case with an Intel Corporation subsidiary, Wind River Systems, on Oct. 7 over encryption software sales to foreign entities, some of which are sanctioned by the BIS Entity List. The company is set to pay $750,000 to the Bureau of Industry and Security in the next 30 days, and if the payment is not made on time, BIS threatened to build interest on the figure and prevent the company from exporting goods. Wind River Systems, based in of Alameda, Calif., exported software valued at $2.9 million to end-users in China, Hong Kong, Russia, Israel, South Africa, and South Korea on 55 occasions between 2008 and 2011, BIS said. Meanwhile, BIS also settled on Oct. 7 an enforcement case into EAR violations committed by a Belgian firm. Robbins and Myers Belgium allegedly sold heat-treated special alloy tubes lined with helical-shaped rubber inserts to Syria in 2006. The product is used in oil and gas drilling and exploration, BIS said. Robbins and Myers Belgium will have to pay $600,000 within 30 days or BIS will build interest on the sum and bar the company’s exports.
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:
On Oct. 7 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
In the Oct 7-8 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on solid urea from Russia (A-821-801). Commerce determined the only company under review, MCC EuroChem, did not undersell subject merchandise during the period of review, assigning the company a zero percent AD duty rate. Subject merchandise from EuroChem entered between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013 will be liquidated without any assessment of AD duties, and future entries of solid urea exported from Russia by EuroChem will not be subject to AD duty cash deposit requirements until further notice. These final results take effect Oct. 9.
President Barack Obama on Oct. 3 officially removed Russia from the list of countries that benefit from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Russia has economically advanced and developed its trade competitiveness to a point that no longer justifies its inclusion in the preference program, said Obama. The Trade Act of 1974 will be modified and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule will be amended to reflect the removal of Russia, Obama said in the statement. Obama told Congress in May that he intended to remove Russia from the program (see 14050805). The termination is effective Oct. 3. The GSP program has been expired for more than a year.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is temporarily denying export privileges for X-TREME Motors, XTREME Outdoors, Tyson Preece, Corey Justin Preece and Toby Green for six months over violations of the Export Administration Regulations involving unauthorized exports to Russia, China and other countries. The individuals and companies, all located in Utah, are being placed on the Denied Persons List. BIS alleges those individuals and companies fabricated customs declarations to ship rifle scopes and other controlled items. BIS detained over 50 shipments that were falsely identified by the companies. The companies labeled the shipments as containing all-terrain vehicle parts. The denial order is eligible for renewal.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Oct. 1 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 Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission began five-year sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China, Russia and Ukraine (A-570-849, A-821-808, A-823-808).
On Sept. 29 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Commerce Department issued its final determination in the antidumping duty investigation on grain-oriented electrical steel from Russia (A-821-821). The agency made no changes to its preliminary rates. This final determination takes effect Oct. 1.