The U.S. Treasury Department designated Iranian cargo airline Yas Air, as well as Behineh Trading; three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) officials, and one Nigerian shipping agent -- all pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 for acting for or on behalf of, or providing support to, the IRGC-QF, a designated terrorist entity.

Most government agencies do not fully track resources used and the risks involved with export control enforcement activities, the Government Accountability Office said in a March 27 report. Because they have missions other than export controls, agencies can use staff resources for other activities based on need, making tracking resources used solely for export control enforcement difficult, GAO said. Only Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement allocates its resources exclusively to export control enforcement, and other agencies, such as State and the Treasury, have relatively few export control enforcement staff to track, the report said.

Ocean freight imports from Asia to the U.S. were key factors in Lilly & Associates International's 44 percent growth in 2011, it said. It also said new warehouse facilities in Panama and stations in Latin America added revenue sources, and it provide new full-service, door-to-door logistics.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has released its calendar year 2011 annual report to Congress on assets in the U.S. relating to terrorist countries and international terrorism program designees. The report provides figures for blocked funds in the U.S. relating to international terrorist organizations, state sponsors of terrorism, and non-blocked funds relating to Iran and Syria.

The State Department issued a final rule, effective March 22, 2012, amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) at 22 CFR Part 126 to add another exception to the license denial policy toward Sri Lanka. This change allows for exports to Sri Lanka for assistance for aerial and maritime surveillance, pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-74).

The Census Bureau has posted to its website the March 2012 issue of its Automated Export System Newsletter (AES Newsletter). The newsletter contains the following articles:

The Census Bureau has issued an AES Broadcast stating that, effective immediately, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) tables in the Automated Export System (AES) have been updated for the Korea Free Trade Agreement (KFTA). According to the broadcast and Census sources, AES will accept shipments with outdated codes for a 30-day grace period from approximately March 14 through April 13, 2012. Reporting an outdated code after the 30 day grace period will result in a fatal error.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule that effective March 20, 2012, amends the Iranian Transactions Regulations to redefine the term "entity owned or controlled by the Government of Iran" to include any corporation, partnership, association, or other entity in which the Government of Iran owns a 50 percent or greater interest or a controlling interest, and any entity which is otherwise controlled by that government. OFAC states that this change substantially conforms 31 CFR 560.313 to the definition in the amended Iranian Financial Sanctions Regulations. (FR Pub 03/20/12)

The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site its schedule for its upcoming meetings and presentations on the Automated Export System and other export issues.

The State Department has issued a final rule amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to implement the 2007 Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, which provides for, among other things, an exemption from otherwise applicable licensing requirements for persons or entities exporting defense articles or services to the UK for certain end-uses. The final rule also identifies the defense articles and services that may not be exported pursuant to the Treaty, and adds Israel to the list of countries and entities that have a shorter certification time period and a higher dollar value reporting threshold.