Officials from the State and Commerce departments underscored the importance of open communication and urged industry leaders to submit public comments as the two begin a review of space-related export controls under a Trump administration directive. At the April 17 public meeting at the Department of Commerce, several officials, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, said they were seeking public comments on an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for both State and Commerce, specifically surrounding items listed on the U.S. Munitions List regarding categories IV and XV: launch vehicles and spacecraft, respectively. The notices were issued March 8; comments are due April 22.
SAN ANTONIO -- The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security and the Census Bureau hope to issue their long-awaited proposed regulations on routed export transactions in late spring or early summer, said Sharron Cook, senior policy export analyst at BIS, at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference April 17. When they come out, Cook thinks, export forwarders will see two of their bigger headaches with the current regulations on track for resolution.
The State Department is amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to make changes to its licensing exemption for transfers made by or for an agency of the U.S. government. The scope of the revised exemption is now expanded to allow for permanent exports and retransfers, as well as transfers by third parties acting for the U.S. government. The final rule takes effect April 19.
SAN ANTONIO -- CBP is combing through its export processes to streamline, automate and harmonize agency review, exams and penalties across the ports, according to Jim Swanson, director of CBP’s cargo and security controls division. Speaking at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference April 17, Swanson said CBP has “incrementally moved the ball” on exports in the past year, but is “on the verge” with “a few things we’re working on diligently.”
The European Union’s list of $20 billion in U.S. exports that could get hit with retaliatory tariffs is heavy on fishery and agricultural products and food, including wines and spirits, but also includes goods found elsewhere in the tariff schedule. That includes raw materials and chemicals, including coal, some medical products, plastics, travel goods and other bags and containers, cotton, tractors and games.
SAN ANTONIO -- Non-vessel operators (NVOs) should be working with their customers to minimize any surprises coming from the implementation of revised International Maritime Organization sulfur emissions standards in 2020, said transportation industry experts during a panel discussion at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference on April 16.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 8-12 in case they were missed.
Canada will keep in place the safeguard tariffs on five categories of steel until April 28 despite a Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruling that didn't recommend safeguard tariffs on those goods (see 1904040051), the Canada Border Services Agency said in a notice. "In accordance with Canadian law, where the CITT does not recommend final safeguards, provisional safeguards remain in effect for 200 days from when the Order imposing provisional safeguards was made," CBSA said. "The CITT has not recommended final safeguards on imports of concrete reinforcing bar, energy tubular products, hot-rolled sheet, pre-painted steel and wire rod; as such, provisional safeguards on these goods will remain in effect up to and including April 28, 2019."
Mexico will seek to crack down on corruption, triple duty collections and greatly reduce maritime port and Northern border wait times under a recently announced reform plan, General Administrator of Customs Ricardo Peralta Saucedo said in an interview with Mexican news agency Notimex posted by the Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations on April 15.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced three settlements worth more than a combined $600 million with the German, Austrian and Italian branches of UniCredit Group banks, which violated multiple U.S. sanctions, OFAC said in an April 15 press release. The branches committed several violations of U.S.-imposed sanctions, including sanctions on Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Syria, OFAC said, and violated the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations. OFAC reached a roughly $550 million settlement with UniCredit Germany, a $20 million settlement with UniCredit Austria and a $37 million settlement with UniCredit Italy, an enforcement notice said.