The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective July 25, 2011, to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding six entities to the Entity List (Supplement No. 4 to 15 CFR Part 744), which provides notice to the public that certain exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) to parties identified on the list require a license from BIS and that availability of license exceptions in such transactions is limited. Under Hong Kong, BIS is adding Biznest, LTD and Yeraz, LTD. Under Lebanon, BIS is adding Micro Power Engineering Group; Narinco Micro Sarl; Serop Elmayan and Sons Lebanon; and Serpico Offshore Sarl.

The Bureau of Industry and Security recently issued an invitation to companies to share certain of their export control information on the BIS Commodity Classification Web page. BIS has a renewed interest in expanding company participation on this Web page, as information from only five firms was added to the Web page in the last year (for a total of 53).

The Department of Defense has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval a final rule that would finalize an earlier 2010 interim rule that prevents DoD from awarding, renewing, extending, or exercising an option under a charter of or contract for the transport of cargo by a U.S. flag vessel, unless the contract contains the requirements to be met for "riding gang" members aboard U.S. flag ships transporting DoD cargo.

The Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Export Administration will be holding weekly teleconferences, beginning July 27, 2011, to discuss BIS’ recently published proposed rule to, among other things, create a framework for controlling militarily less significant defense articles on the Commerce Control List rather than the U.S. Munitions List. Questions must be submitted in advance.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted remarks by Under Secretary Hirschhorn at the Update 2011 Conference, in which he provides updates on changes to the U.S. Munitions List (USML) and the Commerce Control List (CCL); the parallel-tiered control lists; licensing policy; enforcement, and other BIS programs, such as defense industrial base (DIB) and treaty compliance activities. He stated that BIS seeks to achieve greater efficiencies by focusing controls on the most important items and destinations, increasing education to sensitize all exporters to their compliance responsibilities, and increasing enforcement so that exporters comply with BIS regulations.

On July 19, 2011, the International Trade Administration and the American Association of Port Authorities announced a new partnership to support the goal of the National Export Initiative to double exports by 2014. The partnership will assist U.S. seaports leverage federal and local resources to help new-to-export small and medium-sized firms to achieve export sales.

Export.gov has announced a series of trade missions that are scheduled for August 2011 through April 2012.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has announced the following entity name and/or address change(s) for new DDTC license applications. New license applications received after the listed deadline will be considered for return without action for correction to the new name and/or address (dates hyperlinked):

The Bureau of Industry and Security announces that the Materials Processing Equipment Technical Advisory Committee will hold a partially open meeting on August 3, 2011. The agenda for the open session includes discussion on proposals from the last and for the next Wassenaar meeting; and a report on proposed changes to the Export Administration Regulations.

The Bureau of Industry and Security has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval a final rule entitled "General Order: Suspension of Export and Reexport Licenses for Items to Libya."