Bureau of Industry and Security 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to reflect changes to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that were agreed to by MTCR member countries at the October 2016 Plenary in Busan, South Korea, and the March 2016 Technical Experts Meeting (TEM) in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. This final rule revises thirteen Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs), adds one ECCN, revises two EAR defined terms (including making other EAR conforming changes for the use of these two terms) and makes conforming EAR changes where needed to implement the changes that were agreed to at the meetings and to better align the missile technology (MT) controls on the Commerce Control List (CCL) with the MTCR Annex.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding ten entities to the Entity List. The ten entities that are added to the Entity List have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. BIS is taking this action to ensure the efficacy of existing sanctions on the Russian Federation (Russia) for violating international law and fueling the conflict in eastern Ukraine. These entities will be listed on the Entity List under the destinations of the Crimea region of Ukraine and Russia.

On May 9, 2017 (82 FR 21509), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), published the Notice of Request for Public Comments and Public Hearing on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Aluminum. The May 9 notice specified that the Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of aluminum. This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. (See the May 9 notice for additional details on the investigation and the request for public comments.) The May 9 notice also announced that the Department of Commerce will hold a public hearing on the investigation on June 22, 2017 in Washington, DC. Today's notice provides additional details on the procedures for attending the hearing and for viewing the hearing, via webcast.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice is intended to remind the public that U.S. companies are required, pursuant to the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (DPA), to report annually to the Department of Commerce (Commerce) information on contracts for the sale of defense articles or defense services to foreign countries or foreign companies that are subject to offsets agreements exceeding $5,000,000 in value. Consistent with the DPA, U.S. companies are also required to report annually to Commerce information on offsets transactions completed in performance of existing offsets commitments for which an offsets credit of $250,000 or more has been claimed from the foreign representative. Such reports from calendar year 2016 must include relevant information and must be submitted to Commerce no later than June 15, 2017.

On April 26, 2017, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), published the Notice Request for Public Comments and Public Hearing on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Steel. The April 26 notice specified that the Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of steel. This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. (See the April 26 notice for additional details on the investigation and the request for public comments.) The April 26 notice also announced that the Department of Commerce will hold a public hearing on the investigation on May 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. Today's notice provides additional details on the procedures for attending the hearing and for viewing the hearing, via webcast.

The Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of steel. This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, data, analyses, or other information pertinent to the investigation to the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security. The Department of Commerce will also hold a public hearing on the investigation on May 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. This notice identifies the issues on which the Department is interested in obtaining the public's views. It also sets forth the procedures for public participation in the hearing.

This rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by revising one existing entry in the Entity List, under the destination of Russia. The license requirement for the entry is being revised to conform with a general license issued by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 2, 2017.

This rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by removing seven persons under ten entries from the Entity List. This rule removes four persons listed under the destination of Germany, one person listed under the destination of Hong Kong, one person listed under the destination of India, one person listed under the destination of Singapore, one person listed under the destination of Switzerland, and two persons under the destination of the United Arab Emirates from the Entity List. The three additional entries are being removed to account for two persons listed under more than one destination on the Entity List. All seven of the removals are the result of requests for removal received by BIS pursuant to the section of the EAR used for requesting removal or modification of an Entity List entity and a review of information provided in the removal requests in accordance with the procedure for requesting removal or modification of an Entity List entity.

Seven Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) advise the Department of Commerce on the technical parameters for export controls applicable to dual-use commodities and technology and on the administration of those controls. The TACs are composed of representatives from industry representatives, academic leaders and U.S. Government representing diverse points of view on the concerns of the exporting community. Industry representatives are selected from firms producing a broad range of goods, technologies, and software presently controlled for national security, non-proliferation, foreign policy, and short supply reasons or that are proposed for such controls, balanced to the extent possible among large and small firms. TAC members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and serve terms of not more than four consecutive years. The membership reflects the Department's commitment to attaining balance and diversity. TAC members must obtain secret-level clearances prior to appointment. These clearances are necessary so that members may be permitted access to the classified information needed to formulate recommendations to the Department of Commerce. Each TAC meets approximately four times per year. Members of the Committees will not be compensated for their services. The seven TACs are responsible for advising the Department of Commerce on the technical parameters for export controls and the administration of those controls within the following areas: Information Systems TAC: Control List Categories 3 (electronics), 4 (computers), and 5 (telecommunications and information security); Materials TAC: Control List Category 1 (materials, chemicals, microorganisms, and toxins); Materials Processing Equipment TAC: Control List Category 2 (materials processing); Regulations and Procedures TAC: The Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Procedures for implementing the EAR; Sensors and Instrumentation TAC: Control List Category 6 (sensors and lasers); Transportation and Related Equipment TAC: Control List Categories 7 (navigation and avionics), 8 (marine), and 9 (propulsion systems, space vehicles, and related equipment) and the Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee: (1) The identification of emerging technologies and research and development activities that may be of interest from a dual-use perspective; (2) the prioritization of new and existing controls to determine which are of greatest consequence to national security; (3) the potential impact of dual-use export control requirements on research activities; and (4) the threat to national security posed by the unauthorized exports of technologies. To respond to this recruitment notice, please send a copy of your resume to Ms. Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov. Deadline: This Notice of Recruitment will be open for one year from its date of publication in the Federal Register.

On March 24, 2016, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a final rule, Temporary General License. The March 24 final rule created a temporary general license that restored, for a specified time period, the licensing requirements and policies under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) as of March 7, 2016, to two entities (ZTE Corporation and ZTE Kangxun) that were added to the Entity List on March 8, 2016. At this time, the U.S. Government has decided to extend the temporary general license until March 29, 2017. In order to implement this decision, this final rule revises the temporary general license to remove the expiration date of February 27, 2017, and to substitute the date of March 29, 2017. This final rule makes no other changes to the EAR.