Census Saw 'Spike' in VSDs, but Levels Returning to Normal
The Census Bureau has seen a large “spike” in voluntary disclosures during the past few years, with some officials handling 10 at a time, a Commerce Department official said during the Bureau of Industry and Security's annual update conference June 29. The official said disclosures increased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have remained high since but are just starting to return to normal levels. “My staff was like, … 'Oh, my God. I have like 10 I’m processing.’ Everybody was processing 10,” the official said, speaking on background under a conference policy for certain career personnel.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
The official said the increase in disclosures is seen as a positive because it's a sign industry is “trying to be compliant” with the agency’s export regulations. “You don't want to get these penalties, and we're here to help process” the disclosures, the official said.