The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following address changes on April 18:

The State Department issued a correction to address two inaccurate references royal red shrimp (Menopenaeus robustus) rather than the Mediterranean red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) in a recent rule. State, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, determined the U.S. will allow Mediterranean red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) harvested in the Mediterranean Sea to be imported from Spain. The rule, which entered the Federal Register on April 7, initially and erroneously said the royal red shrimp (Menopenaeus robustus) will be permitted for import.

The State Department’s Shipping Coordinating Committee (SHC) will hold a public meeting in Arlington, Va. on May 13 to prepare for a International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Facilitation Committee session, slated to be held at the IMO headquarters in the United Kingdom from Sept. 22-26. The meeting will focus on international trade security and ship/port interface, among other subjects. For more information on the meeting, contact David Du Pont, via e-mail at David.A.DuPont@uscg.mil, or (202) 372-1947.

The State Department issued a final rule to correct a recent International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) update on reporting requirements for the UK defense treaty exemption. State inadvertently removed several paragraphs in the update, and restored the paragraphs in the correction. This final rule is effective April 17.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following address changes on April 16:

The State Department restricted commercial trade with Central African Republic, including trade in arms. The country is now listed in the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Part § 126.1 (here), in accordance with recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions calling for an arms embargo on the country. The UNSC passed pertinent resolutions in December 2013 and January 2014, following a spike in conflict in the country. The State Department, effective April 17, will deny licenses and other approvals of exports and imports of defense articles and services destined for or originating in the Central African Republic, except in certain cases. The following scenarios may receive trade approval on a case-by-case basis:

The State Department should impose import restrictions on archaeological and ethnological material from Egypt originating from its prehistoric through Ottoman periods, said the Egyptian government in a recent request (here) to the State Department. The content of the request is confidential, and was made in accordance with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization protocol. The State Department Cultural Property Advisory Committee will hold a meeting (here) on June 2-4 at the State Department to review the Egyptian request. The committee will also review import restrictions on archaeological material from the pre-Hispanic cultures of Nicaragua. Those that wish to attend the meeting must contact the State Department by May 14. Comments are also due by that date.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following address changes on April 14:

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following name and address changes on April 14:

The State Department, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, will allow royal red shrimp (Menopenaeus robustus) harvested in the Mediterranean Sea to be imported into the U.S. from Spain. Section 609 of Public Law 101--162 prohibits imports of certain types of shrimp in an effort to scale back incidental capture of sea turtles in nation’s commercial shrimp fisheries. “Since there are other shrimp fisheries in which Spanish vessels operate that could pose a threat to sea turtles, the Department is not able to determine that Spain qualifies for a national certification pursuant to this section,” said the order.