The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective November 21, 2011, which amends the Export Administration Regulations by adding 14 persons to the Entity List under Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan. BIS is also amending two entries currently on the Entity List under Canada.
On November 17, 2011, the Justice Department announced that Fu-Tain Lu, the owner and founder of Fushine Technology, Inc., has pleaded guilty to selling sensitive microwave amplifiers to China without a license, in violation of U.S. export regulations (50 USC 1705(b) and 15 CFR 764.2(a)).
On November 16, 2011, the President’s Export Council1 held its fourth meeting to discuss the Administration’s National Export Initiative. PEC offered a number of recommendations to the President, including (i) completion of the USML/CCL review, (ii) development of a trusted trader program for exporters, (iii) the development of a single information technology system with a common export license application process, (iv) additional commercial engagement with the Middle East and North Africa, and (v) expansion of the Information Technology Agreement.
The Department of Defense has issued a final rule which adopts, with changes, a June 2011 interim final rule that amended the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to prohibit specification of the use of (foreign made) fire-resistant rayon fiber for production of military uniforms in DoD contract solicitations issued before January 1, 2015. The final rule, which is effective November 18, 2011, clarifies that it is the specification requirement that is prohibited, not the voluntary offer and use of fabrics that use fire-resistant rayon fiber.
While visiting Hanoi, Vietnam on November 16, 2011, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in approximately 70 U.S. agricultural organizations to help expand commercial export markets for their goods. Vilsack made the announcement during a conference call with reporters from Vietnam, where he is meeting with officials to help strengthen trade relations in the Asia Pacific region.
Export.gov has announced the following series of domestic trade shows that are scheduled for November 2011 through December 2012.
On November 15, 2011, the Bureau of Industry and Security announced that Xun Wang, a former Managing Director of PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., pled guilty to conspiring to export high-performance epoxy coatings to a nuclear reactor in Pakistan, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Export.gov has announced a series of international trade shows that are scheduled for November 2011 through November 2012.
The DDTC has posted information from the Defense Trade Advisory Group's November 9, 2011 meeting in Washington, DC. Included in the posting is the address of Assistant Secretary Andrew Shapiro, and presentations on transferring items from the USML to the CCL, the single license form, and the definition of public domain.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a notice detailing the May and August 2011 State Department sanctions against seven firms that OFAC is responsible for implementing. The seven companies were determined to have engaged in sanctionable activities related to Iran’s petroleum sector under Section 5(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), as amended by the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA) of 2010.