Georgia Resident Tried to Illegally Export Sighting Devices to China, BIS Says

The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked the export privileges of a Georgia resident after she admitted to trying to illegally export about $25,000 worth of optical sighting devices from the U.S. to China. As part of a settlement agreement, Dina Zhu of Lawrenceville, Georgia, will be barred from participating in any transaction subject to the Export Administration Regulations for one year from Oct. 20, but she won’t face a fine.

BIS said Zhu tried to ship the devices in November 2018 after finding an online ad soliciting someone to send the goods to China. She first sent the items -- controlled under Export Control Classification Number 0A987 for crime control reasons -- to her home before consolidating the packages and taking them to an international courier for export to Hong Kong, the agency said. After arriving in Hong Kong, the goods would then be forwarded to China, Zhu told BIS.

The agency’s Office of Export Enforcement stopped the shipment before it left the country by issuing a “re-delivery order” to the courier to “return or unload the shipment.” BIS said Zhu was “aware” she needed an export license to ship the goods because she had a similar shipment seized by CBP one year earlier.

BIS said it could have imposed a maximum civil penalty of $328,121 per violation but instead issued a one-year denial order after Zhu admitted to the violation, part of a shift by BIS to no longer use no-admit, no-deny clauses in settlements (see 2206300069). The agency said Zhu also will face a probation period for one year after the denial period, and if she violates the settlement agreement, BIS may extend the denial period.