The Commerce Department is working with allies to create a new multilateral export control enforcement coordination mechanism to better tighten gaps in global export control regimes, said Matthew Axelrod, the agency’s lead export enforcement official. Axelrod said more enforcement cooperation can strengthen the effectiveness of the controls, particularly for Russia-related restrictions.
The U.S. needs to be careful when imposing export controls on emerging technologies to avoid hurting U.S. research and innovation, said Robert Blair, Microsoft's senior director-5G and external affairs. Blair, speaking during a May 10 event hosted by the Task Force on American Innovation, said industry wants to help the administration stem the proliferation of technologies to bad actors while also avoiding hurting the competitiveness of U.S. companies, specifically those working on quantum technologies.
The Treasury Department has enough evidence to show that its Russia sanctions are being violated and needs to move faster to impose secondary sanctions, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said. He said he and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., plan to push the agency to act.
The Federal Maritime Commission is seeking comments on potential changes to its rules for Carrier Automated Tariffs, including whether carrier tariffs should be available “free of charge” and if the definition of co-loading should be revised to apply only to “less than container loads.” Other proposed changes described in the rule, released May 9, would allow non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) to “cross reference certain aspects of other carriers’ terms in their tariffs,” clarify NVOCCs’ ability to “reflect increases in certain charges passed-through by other entities without notice,” require that documentation must be annotated with the names of all NVOCCs involved in a shipping transaction, and “make other miscellaneous updates and clarifications.”
CBP will soon launch a pilot program to electronically process export documents for used vehicles, the agency said in a notice released May 9. The voluntary pilot, open to exports of any “used self propelled vehicles” (USPVs) that can be driven on land but not rail, is aimed at expediting and modernizing the agency's document submission and review process, CBP said.
The U.S., the EU and the other G-7 members on May 9 announced a series of new sanctions and restrictions on Russia, including a ban on providing certain business management services to the country and a commitment to phase out imports of Russian oil. New U.S. restrictions include broader export controls and sanctions targeting Russian banking executives, a weapons manufacturer and state-owned media.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed by a week a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced May 6. The ports had planned to begin imposing the fee in November 2021 but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until May 13.
The Census Bureau is still receiving questions about the role of auction houses in export transactions and that “is probably one of the biggest challenges that we're facing right now,” said Omari Wooden, assistant division chief for trade outreach and regulations. Some exporters have struggled to determine whether the houses should be listed as the U.S Principal Party in Interest and have asked Census for more guidance, but the agency has said each case may be different (see 2107010043).
CBP is almost ready to mandate electronic export manifest for ocean, air and rail, and plans to issue an EEM pilot for trucks within the next year, said Jim Swanson, director of the cargo and security controls division, for cargo and conveyance security in the CBP Office of Field Operations. CBP has been under pressure to move faster on the project after delays in 2021 pushed back its full release to at least this year (see 2110180038).
PHILADELPHIA -- The Bureau of Industry and Security may look to increase collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to help them better investigate export control violations, said Thea Kendler, BIS’ assistant secretary for export administration. Although BIS helps train agents from other departments at the Export Enforcement Coordination Center, it could look into bolstering that work, Kendler said May 4 at the annual University Export Control Conference at the University of Pennsylvania.