The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued two name or address change notifications July 15:

The Bureau of Industry and Security banned Harold and Yaming Nina Qi Hanson from exporting for 15 years, in connection with false statements to BIS and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials investigating the unlicensed export of autopilots to China by the couple. According to BIS, the two exported 20 autopilots valued at $90,340 to China without a license. Autopilots are subject to the Export Administration Regulations.

The Census Bureau sent out AES Broadcast 2013053 as part of a series of monthly educational broadcast messages on fatal errors in the Automated Export System. This month Census is highlighting AES error codes 571 (DDTC Registrant Unknown) and 572 (DDTC Registrant Expired). The broadcast covers the reasons for these error messages and how to resolve them:

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) waived certain export and reexport sanctions to Syria on July 22 in a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). BIS will now review licenses on a case-by-case basis for items that counter destabilization and support a political transition in Syria, prospects BIS says are important for U.S. national security. Those items include commodities, software, and technology involved with water supply and sanitation, agricultural production and food processing, power generation, oil and gas production, construction and engineering, transportation, and educational infrastructure, among other things.

The Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau has created free, in-depth webinars to provide the information needed to understand changes to Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR). The webinars will focus on the following:

Assistant Secretary for Export Administration Kevin Wolf will conduct two teleconferences in the coming days, according to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The first teleconference, slated for July 17 at 2:30 p.m. EDT, will focus on the Export Control Reform (ECR) Initiative. Participants are permitted to ask any questions pertaining to ECR, including BIS proposals. The second teleconference will be held July 25 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:30 p.m. EST, in accordance with Assistant Secretary Wolf’s forum at the Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to harmonize U.S. government policy with Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) agreements. The MTCR is an association of 34 countries that seeks to stem proliferation of systems equipped to deliver weapons of mass destruction. MTCR agreements coordinate export policy and items control lists. The rule makes technical revisions to six Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs).

Satellite companies and manufacturers supported the Obama Administration's draft proposals to update the satellite export control regime in comments to the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The proposals address the transfer of satellite systems and their components from the U.S. munitions list (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL). Items controlled under the USML are critical to national security, while the CCL is less restrictive and includes items that are less critical. Comments were due and posted this week (see 13071122). SES, Intelsat, Boeing and other companies approved of the proposals but asked for clarifications to export control classification numbers (ECCN) that identify items.

The State Department pledged in a July 10 press release to continue revamping U.S. Munitions List (USML) categories, following the July 8 issuance of the second set of pertinent final rules (see 13070814). The rules redefined four USML categories, transferring certain military vehicles, water vessels, oceanographic equipment and other items to the Commerce Control List (CCL).

Self-described business advocacy group Americans for Job Security President Stephen DeMaura in a July 10 statement urged U.S. Senators to oppose Fred Hochberg’s nomination to continue to head the Export-Import bank. The Senate Banking Committee in June voted 20-2 in favor of the incumbent bank president’s nomination. A spokesman for Sen. Harry Reid said the Senate confirmation vote could come as early as next week, according to Reuters (here). Hochberg became president and chairman of the bank in 2009.