The Bureau of Industry and Security on Nov. 5 slapped a Denied Persons List designation on London-based Mohammad Hakim Hashemi, the agency said in an emailed statement. The statement did not specify why BIS handed down the designation on Hashemi.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Nov. 5:

The Bureau of Industry and Security added Chinese national Lisong Ma to the Denied Persons List, the agency said in a Nov. 4 emailed statement. Ma pleaded guilty in 2013 to attempting to export to China five tons of weapons-grade carbon fiber, a product used in military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (see 13060311). A New York district court judge handed Ma a 20-year prison sentence, and Ma is currently serving out his term at the Moshannon Valley Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Nov. 3:

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Oct. 31:

The U.S.-South Korean free trade agreement (KORUS) is steadily boosting bilateral trade flows, and while South Korean agriculture and industrial exports to the U.S. continue to climb, many companies view the agreement in a negative light, said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in an Oct. 23 speech before the American Chamber of Commerce in South Korea (here). Pritzker led a delegation of businesses to the country to strengthen U.S. commercial ties, particularly in the healthcare and energy sectors. Despite the recent gains, incomplete KORUS implementation is hampering the ability of companies to take advantage of its benefits, said Pritzker. “We know that we have only scratched the surface of the potential benefits of KORUS,” she said. “And while we acknowledge key challenges in the implementation of the agreement, we know that the Korean government has worked hard, and effectively, to address ongoing issues. Moving forward, further challenges are sure to arise, and we need to address KORUS implementation issues more quickly and more efficiently in the future.” Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler earlier in 2014 said U.S. trade officials were reaching out to their South Korean counterparts to troubleshoot lingering customs certification issues (see 14031425). The Office of the USTR did not respond for comment .

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Oct. 28:

The City of San Antonio has submitted an application to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to reorganize FTZ 80 under the Alternative Site Framework, said the FTZ Board in a Federal Register notice (here). Under the reorganization, the service area would cover all of Bexar County, Texas, as well as portions of Comal and Guadalupe Counties. The Alternative Site Framework streamlines processes for designation of new FTZ subzones and usage driven sites within the service area by allowing companies to request zone status through the relatively simple "minor boundary modification" process. Comments on the application are due by Dec. 29.

The Commerce Department is seeking comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the U.S. during the period Jan. 1 through June 30, 2014 (here). Comments are due by Nov. 26.

The Commerce Department is increasing the knit apparel tariff preference level under the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act for fiscal year 2014. The agency says imports from Haiti under the knit apparel TPL rose above 52 million square meter equivalents (SMEs) for the period Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014, so the TPL for the period is automatically being increased from 70 million SMEs to 200 million SMEs. The TPL for the period Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015 will remain at 70 million SMEs until FY 2015 imports reach or exceed 52 million SMEs, said Commerce.