The Agricultural Marketing Service released the Ocean Shipping Container Availability Report (OSCAR) for the week of Oct. 24-30. The weekly report contains data on container availability for westbound transpacific traffic at 18 intermodal locations in the U.S.¹ from the eight member carriers of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA).² Although the report is compiled by AMS, it covers container availability for all merchandise, not just agricultural products.

Circuit protection product manufacturer Littelfuse will pay $180,000 pursuant to a settlement with the Bureau of Industry of Security of Export Administration Regulations violations. Between 2006 and 2008, Littelfuse exported $90,017.96 worth of liquid crystal polymer, which is classified under ECCN 1C008.b and controlled for national security (NS) reasons, to the Philippines without the required BIS licenses, BIS alleged. In so doing, Littelfuse committed 37 violations of Section 764.2(a) of the EAR (Unlicensed Exports of an Item Controlled for National Security Reasons). BIS was made aware of the alleged violations through a voluntary self-disclosure made by Littelfuse.

Officials from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation signed a co-financing agreement to facilitate export transactions involving companies in both the U.S. and Japan, Ex-Im said. It said the two nations’ export credit agencies will provide a one-stop-shop financing package, creating administrative efficiencies for foreign buyers. “This arrangement paves the way for Ex-Im Bank and JBIC to co-finance projects, enabling exporters in both the U.S. and Japan to select the best mix of price and technology to strengthen their overseas bids and support jobs,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg.

The Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) will host an Automated Export System Compliance Seminar and an AESPcLink Workshop in Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 7-8, the Census Bureau said. At the seminar on Nov. 7, Census experts will cover the filing requirements of the Foreign Trade Regulations, Schedule B classification requirements, and provide an overview of AES. On Nov. 8, two AESPcLink Workshops will be conducted. More information is available here, and registration is available here. Email documents@brokerpower.com for a copy of this message.

The Census Bureau updated Automated Export System (AES) Port of Export Codes for four Texas ports to allow for “Air” as the mode of transportation. The codes now allow for both Vessel and Air modes of transport, Census said. Codes were updated for the following ports:

The Department of Energy set a Dec. 24 deadline for protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments on Cheniere Marketing's application for long-term authorization to export liquefied natural gas to non-free trade agreement countries for a 22-year period, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Oct. 23.

The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. said it reached agreement with trade credit insurer Coface North America Insurance Co. to provide reinsurance. The bank introduced its reinsurance product two years ago to help U.S. small business exporters obtain short-term export credit. Under the agreement, Ex-Im Bank will provide reinsurance for export-credit insurance policies written by Coface North America Insurance to protect the accounts receivables and cash flow of American companies exporting goods and services overseas.

The Bureau of Industry Security will hold a partially open meeting of the Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee Nov. 7-8 in Washington, D.C. In the Nov. 7 public session, ISTAC will hear working group reports and industry presentations. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first served basis. To join the conference, submit inquiries to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov no later than Oct. 31.

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a Critical Technology Assessment on night vision focal plane arrays, sensors, and cameras. The report, compiled by the BIS Office of Technology Evaluation, was done to examine the impact of export controls on key existing or emerging technologies that are subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The night vision equipment examined in this assessment is controlled under U.S. Munitions List Category XII and EAR ECCNs 6A002 and 6A003. Highlights of the report include:

The Census Bureau sent out AES Broadcast #2012070 as part of a series of monthly educational broadcast messages on the Automated Export System. This month Census is highlighting AES error codes 501 (Export Information Code Missing) and 510 (Export Information Code Cannot Be Claimed With License Code). The broadcast covers the reasons for these error messages and how to resolve them, as follows: