The Export-Import Bank approved a $1.1 billion in financing for the export of Boeing aircraft to the largest privately owned airline in Indonesia, the bank announced March 5. The financing will support a portion of the Indonesian company Lion Air’s outstanding orders for Boeing B737-900ER aircraft, a press release said. That order includes 230 Boeing 737 aircraft ordered in November 2011, the largest commercial aircraft order in aviation history, the release said. Ex-Im Bank initially approved the financing in 2011.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls posted license instructions for direct commercial sales to Libya on March 4. The notice says Libya is subject to a UN Security Council arms embargo, identified in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and that requests for the export of defense articles and services will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given to the following:

The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. issued a public notice on a financial commitment in excess of $100 million to support the export of U.S. manufactured helicopters to Brazil, Norway, the United Kingdom, and other countries, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled for March 1. They would be supplied by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., and the obligor is Milestone Aviation Group. Information on the final decision for this transaction is (here).

President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) announced its March 14 open meeting agenda in a Feb. 28 Federal Register notice. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Department of Commerce. The agenda includes remarks and presentation of papers or comments by the public.

The Ex-Im Bank has released the agenda for its upcoming board of directors meeting, at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 28. The agenda for the meeting, which is closed to the public, includes deals for CNH America LLC and Milestone Aviation Group.

As export reform continues inching to fruition stakeholders are analyzing potential consequences of the deep changes sparked by the Obama administration in 2010. Unintended consequences of export reform, as it stands now, was the subject of a Feb. 26 talk hosted by the law firm Jones Day. The talk was led by Jones Day partners Giovanna Cinelli and Kenneth Nunnenkamp. The State Department began talks with Congress on USML-CCL moves earlier this month (See ITT’s Online Archives 13020841). The Office of Management and Budget approved the “beast rule” -- part of the Congressional notification sent to Congress by State in January (see Online Archives 13012233).

Recent log export policy changes in British Columbia will give B.C. lumber mills an unfair advantage in the U.S. market, a U.S. lumber producers alliance said Feb. 26. In a press release, the U.S. Lumber Coalition said it was "seriously concerned" about the recent changes, set to take effect March 1, especially a 20 percent increase in the "fee in lieu of domestic manufacturing." This increase appears to be inconsistent with the 2006 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement, the group said.

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule correcting what it calls "reference and typograohical errors" in the EAR, according to a Feb. 28 Federal Register notice. The bureau said the corrections, which update 17 parts of the EAR, are "editorial in nature and do not affect license requirements." See a future issue of ITT for details.

Ex-Im Bank held an exporter forum for small and medium-sized business in the Los Angeles area Feb. 22, according to a press release. Ex-Im Chairman Fred Hochberg and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., hosted the forum, the release said. Hochberg gave an overview of Ex-Im's Global Access for Small-Business Initiative, aimed at increasing the number of small businesses that export goods and services, the release said.

The President’s Export Council will meet March 12 at 9:30 a.m. ET to discuss recommendations for promoting expansion of U.S. exports. Agenda items may include the “Doing Business in Africa” campaign, the need for nominations to the Export-Import Bank Board of Directors, sanitary and phytosanitary issues in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, and U.S.-Canada trade facilitation. The meeting will be broadcast live on the internet here.