U.S. automotive exports hit a record high in August at $13.1 billion in goods value, according to Census Bureau trade statistics (here). The $0.7 billion increase in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines exports played a large part in hitting the record figure, Census said. The U.S. international trade deficit in goods and services increased to $38.8 billion in August from $38.6 billion in July, Census said on Oct. 24 (see 13102418). Industrial supplies and materials and foods, feeds and beverages exports decreased from July to August.

The U.S. international trade deficit in goods and services increased to $38.8 billion in August from $38.6 billion in July, said the Census Bureau. Exports decreased to $189.2 billion in August from $189.3 billion in July, said Census, adding that imports stayed consistent at $228.0 billion in August. The Census Bureau released the data belatedly due to the government shutdown (here).

The International Trade Administration’s Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee will meet Nov. 19 in Washington, D.C. The committee will discuss proposed recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce and the status of the U.S. Environmental Export Initiative. To attend, notify Maureen Hinman at maureen.hinman@trade.gov by Nov. 12.

The City of New York has requested to merge Foreign Trade Zones 1 and 111, and reorganize the combined FTZ under the Alternative Site Framework, according to a FTZ Board notice to be published in the Oct. 25 Federal Register. FTZ 1 currently includes sites at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Howland Hook Marine Terminal, and in Rockaway and Manhattan. FTZ 111 consists of the cargo center at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Oct. 22:

The Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) will host an Automated Export System (AES) Compliance Seminar and an AESPcLink Workshop in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 6-7, the Census Bureau said. Census experts will cover Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) filing requirements, Schedule B classification requirements and a thorough overview of the AES. The events are as follows:

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security will hold the following Export Administration advisory committee meetings:

The Bureau of Industry and Security will go forward with previously announced seminars in Washington D.C., scheduled Oct. 29, 30 and Oct. 31, following the reopening of the federal government. The seminars will be on:

The International Trade Administration has completed its internal reorganization, according to a statement from the agency’s office of public affairs. The plan, approved by Congress in June (see 13061710), merges the ITA’s four divisions into three, as follows:

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security published it's final "CCL clean-up" rule Oct. 4. The final rule makes changes to the Commerce Control List that BIS says will make the CCL clearer, by revising the structure of the Commerce Control List, clarifying definitions, removing ECCNs subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission jurisdiction, amending shipping tolerances, and conforming the CCL to multilateral export control lists and past amendments to the Export Administration Regulations. It also clarifies two BIS final rules associated with the first move of items from the U.S. Munitions List to the CCL. The final rule makes some changes from BIS' November 2012 proposal (see 12112702).