The Census Bureau added two new International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Exemption Codes to the Automated Export System, effective immediately, it said in AES Broadcast #2012037. The codes added are:

The Office of Management and Budget completed its regulatory reviews of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s proposed rules on (i) the definition of “specially designed”, and (ii) the move of some military training equipment from the U.S. Munitions List to the Commerce Control List, as well as a request for comments on the feasibility of enumerating “specially designed” components. ITT will provide details of the proposed rules and request for comments upon publication in the Federal Register.

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued Temporary Denial Orders (TDO) against (1) Zhen Zhou Wu (aka Alex Wu); (2) Yufeng Wei (aka Annie Wei); and (3) Chitron Electronics, Inc. and related companies Chitron Electronics Company Limited (aka Chi-Chuang Electronics Company Limited and Shenzhen Chitron Electronics Company Limited) and Chitron (HK) Electronics Company Limited (aka C.I.C. Electronics (HK) Limited), temporarily denying their export privileges for 10 years for the illegal export of various electronic components and other items subject to the Export Administration Regulations to end-users in China between 2004 and 2007, including to entities on the BIS Entity List, and for military end-uses.

On June 6, BIS added the following names to the denied persons list: Zhen Zhou Wu (aka Alex Wu), Yufeng Wei (aka Annie Wei); Chitron Electronics, Inc.; Chitron Electronics Company Limited; Chi-Chuang Electronics Company Limited; Shenzhen Chitron Electronics Company Limited; Chitron (HK) Electronics Company Limited; and, C.I.C. Electronics (HK) Limited.

The Office of Fossil Energy of the Department of Energy said it is accepting protests, motions to intervene or notices of intervention, requests for additional procedures, and written comments on an application filed on March 23 by Jordan Cove Energy Project for a long-term, multi-contract authorization to export as liquefied natural gas from Coos County, Ore.

Proposed revisions to the remaining U.S. Munitions List categories will be published in the next several months, said Eric Hirschhorn, Under Secretary of the Bureau of Industry and Security, at a May 10 discussion with European Defense Agency Chief Executive Claude-France Arnould in Brussels, Belgium. Hirschhorn also said the Obama administration is briefing members of Congress on the Defense and State Departments’ satellite report in the hope that it will pass legislation allowing satellite controls to be treated like other export control categories. Hirschhorn’s remarks were released by BIS June 1.

The Department of Energy said comments or oppositions are due by Aug. 3 for an application filed on January 10, 2012, by Gulf Coast LNG Export requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) amounting to about 1,022 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per year over a 25-year period. Gulf Coast proposes to export LNG from a proposed natural gas liquefaction facility and LNG terminal at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. Filings should be to http://www.regulations.gov, to fergas@hq.doe.gov, or to U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Natural Gas Regulatory Activities, Office of Fossil Energy, P.O. Box 44375, Washington, DC 20026-4375. Further information: Larine Moore or Lisa Tracy, 202-586-9478 or 202-586-4523.

The Census Bureau posted a brief educational guide, as part of its monthly series “Trade Term of the Month”, on the term “ITN”, the Internal Transaction Number confirming that the Electronic Export Information (EEI) reported in the Automated Export System (AES) has been accepted. The guide includes an explanation of where the ITN is required, as well as exceptions to inclusion of the ITN.

Two entries on the List of Validated End Users at Supplement 7 to 15 CFR Part 748 for National Semiconductor Hong Kong Limited have been removed from the list of eligible destinations in column 4 of the Supplement. BIS said that this correction to the CFR is pursuant to its November 9, 2011 final rule that removed National Semiconductor from the list of VEUs.

The Bureau of Industry and Security said the Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) will hold a partially open meeting on June 12, 2012. The public session's agenda will include an export enforcement update, regulations update, working group reports, an Automated Export System update, and presentations of papers or comments by the public. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first serve basis. To join via teleconference, submit inquiries by June 5, 2012. A limited number of seats will also be available for the public session.