The Department of Defense has submitted a final rule on FAR Case 2010-018 - Representation Regarding Export of Sensitive Technology to Iran to the Office of Management and Budget for review.

Effective February 6, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued two general licenses maintaining authorizations that would have been rendered invalid by the recent Executive Order blocking property of the government of Iran and Iranian financial institutions Including the Central Bank of Iran (EO 13599). General License A authorizes almost all transactions that are allowed under existing general and specific licenses, while General License B authorizes non-commercial, personal remittances.

Export.gov has announced that registration is available for a number of upcoming export-based webinars to be held in 2012. General topics such as letters of credit, export documentation, and choosing a freight forwarder will be covered, as well as target products for select export markets such as solar energy for Brazil, efficient energy products for the European Union and Saudi Arabia, infrastructure in India, and reconstruction opportunities in Haiti.

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced that its Materials Processing Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will be holding a partially open meeting on March 20, 2012, in Washington, DC. The open session will include discussions on results from the last, and proposals for the next, Wassenaar Meeting, and reports on proposed and recently issued changes to the Export Administration Regulations. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first serve basis. Requests to join the conference are due by March 13, 2012.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted the comments it received from its notice of inquiry requesting public comments on its retrospective regulatory review of portions of its' existing and proposed Export Administration, Chemical Weapons Convention, Additional Protocol, and National Security Industrial Base regulations and rules, pursuant to Executive Order 13563. BIS’ Export Control Reform Initiative was not part of this inquiry. BIS received 22 comments, mostly from private companies, but comments were also received from trade associations such as the Semiconductor Industry Association, Institute of Makers of Explosives, etc.

On February 14, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added one individual to its "Specially Designated Nationals" list. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced that its Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will be holding a partially open meeting on March 1, 2012, in Washington, DC. The Committee advises the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration with respect to technical questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to transportation and related equipment or technology. During the open session, the committee will hear status reports by working group chairs. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first serve basis. Requests to join the conference are due by February 23, 2012.

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced that its President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) will be holding an open meeting on March 1-2, 2012, in Los Angeles, CA. PECSEA advises the Department of Commerce on matters pertinent to portions of the Export Administration Act, as amended, including the Obama administration’s export control reform initiative, policies encouraging trade, and policies controlling trade for national security and foreign policy reasons. The subcommittee will hear comments and papers by the public, review a field hearing, discuss the status of the 2012 workplan, hold subcommittee breakout sessions, and tour the Port of Los Angeles. A limited number of seats will be available for the public sessions on both days.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted the comments on its proposed rule to add to the Commerce Control List (CCL) submersible vessels, oceanographic equipment and related articles that the President determines no longer warrant control under the U.S. Munitions List (USML). BIS received four comments from private companies on the proposed rule.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted the public comments it received on its proposed rule to add to the Commerce Control List (CCL) surface vessels of war and related articles that the President determines no longer warrant control under the U.S. Munitions List (USML). BIS received four comments from private industries in response to this proposed rule. BIS' proposed rule would create five new 600 series ECCNs in the CCL for surface vessels of war and related articles. The State Department had also concurrently issued a proposed rule that would revise USML Category VI for these items to narrow the articles controlled on the USML and to make the list of items more positive.