The Census Bureau has issued a January 3 AES Broadcast to remind exporters to ensure the "Estimated Date of Export" is reported with the correct year. To avoid the Automated Export System (AES) generating the Compliance Alert - Shipment Reported Late, the year 2012 must be reported for current AES shipments. For further information or questions, contact the U.S. Census Bureau's AES Branch (800) 549-0595, select option 1 for AES or email: askaes@census.gov. Copies of AES broadcast available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com. (AES broadcast #2012001)

On December 29, 2011, the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Lebanese-Colombian nationals Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly and Mohamad Zouheir El Khansa as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs) due to their significant role in international money laundering activities involving drug trafficking proceeds. OFAC also designated nine other individuals and 28 entities in Colombia, Panama, Lebanon, and Hong Kong with ties to Cheaitelly and El Khansa. This action, taken pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these entities and individuals and freezes any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted the public comments it has received on its proposed rule to add to the Commerce Control List (CCL) certain aircraft and related items that the President determines no longer warrant control under United States Munitions List (USML) Category VIII. The proposed rule also modifies BIS' July 2011 proposed rule regarding the eligibility for License Exception STA, among other things. Written comments on the proposed rule were due by December 22, 2011.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted an updated schedule for its export control and compliance training outreach efforts. BIS states its training seminars provide the opportunity to learn firsthand from experienced U.S. Government officials about export control policies, regulations and procedures.

The Census Bureau has issued an AES broadcast to announce that Port of Export Code 3991 for Nippon Express Chicago has been removed from the Automated Export System, effective immediately.

Census has issued an AES broadcast announcing that, effective immediately, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) tables in the Automated Export System have been updated to reflect changes for textile-bottomed footwear (in chapter 64) made by Presidential Proclamation 8742.

The State Department has withdrawn its proposed rule entitled "Amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Exports Made By or For a United States Government Department or Agency" from the Office of Management and Budget approval process. The proposed rule had been submitted in early October 2011.

Export.gov has announced that registration is available for a number of upcoming export-based webinars.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is correcting, as of January 1, 2011, the Commerce Control List (Supplement No. 1 to 15 CFR Part 774) to make corrections to ECCN 9D004 by removing certain paragraphs from the end of the entry regarding development of production technology controlled by ECCN 9E001 to 9E003.

Trade.gov has issued a blog entry on the Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT), a 20-year old program in the International Trade Administration’s Market Access and Compliance unit. The SABIT office annually hosts 12 to 15 delegations of professionals from emerging market countries in industries such as airport development, cargo transportation and logistics, niche tourism, intellectual property rights, construction, and energy efficiency. During Fall 2011, SABIT launched the U.S.-Russia Presidential Management Training Exchange Program (PMT) by hosting two delegations of Russian professionals in the information technology and energy efficiency sectors for three weeks. U.S. companies interested in hosting SABIT’s international delegations may contact the SABIT office at 202-482-0073 or sabit@trade.gov.