The Bureau of Industry and Security's April rule to reduce certain export license requirements for Australia and the U.K. should incorporate some minor changes to clarify what types of exports are covered, the Aerospace Industries Association said in comments to the agency. AIA also asked BIS to clarify whether the new rules will include a transition period and to make sure the changes will be reflected in export filing requirements.
The U.S. government should combine its various export control and sanctions lists into two distinct lists, which could allow the government to better implement trade restrictions and improve industry compliance, a congressional commission heard this week. The commission also discussed whether U.S. export control agencies should have to release more information about their licensing decisions, with one witness saying more transparency would increase business certainty, while another said it would discourage candor between the government and exporters.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week issued a correction to its April interim final rule that reduced license requirements for exports to Australia and the U.K. as part of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. partnership (see 2404180035). The correction fixes a footnote in the rule to add “greater specificity” for the Export Control Classification Numbers mentioned “so only portions of those 0x5zz ECCNs” that were previously controlled for national security or regional stability reasons for the destinations of Australia and the U.K. “will continue to require a license to Australia and the United Kingdom based on the license requirements specified in this footnote.” The changes took effect May 6.
The Census Bureau recently updated the Automated Export System to revise the types of exports to Australia and the U.K. that can be filed with License Code C33 (No License Required). The update reflects export control changes made last month by the Bureau of Industry and Security, which reduced certain licensing requirements for shipments to Australia and the U.K. as part of the AUKUS partnership (see 2404180035).
The Commerce Department announced new export restrictions April 26 that it says are intended to reduce the risk that firearms end up in the hands of criminals, terrorists or cartels.
The Bureau Industry and Security on May 30 will begin revoking some export licenses for firearms, and shortening the lengths of others, in line with changes to export controls for firearms made in an interim final rule released April 26.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is “significantly reducing licensing requirements” for Australia and the U.K. “to foster defense trade and technological innovation” under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) Enhanced Trilateral Security Partnership, it said in an April 18 news release.
A Bureau of Industry and Security rule released last week (see 2403290060) that updated and corrected portions of the agency’s October semiconductor export controls (see 2310170055) also added a new license exception and offered clarifications to export guidance issued by BIS over the last year. The changes take effect April 4, and comments are due by April 29.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on March 29 released an interim final rule to update, correct and clarify its October 2023 chip controls that placed new restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. The 186-page rule takes effect April 4 and seeks public comments on the changes by April 29.
The Census Bureau this week alerted export filers about two new license codes in the Automated Export System for License Exception Notified Advanced Computing (NAC), the exception introduced last year by the Bureau of Industry and Security for certain exports of semiconductors that fall just below the agency’s most recently updated chip control parameters (see 2311200042 and 2401030053). Companies using the license exception and exporting certain chips must submit notifications to BIS with data about the chip, including its total processing performance, the name of the exporter and other parties to the transactions, and the volume and value of the shipment.