Export Controls & Cybersecurity

Introduction

In order to protect U.S. national security interests and promote foreign policy objectives, various U.S. agencies collectively administer and enforce U.S. export control laws and participate in various multilateral export control regimes to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and prevent destabilizing accumulations of conventional weapons and related materials. To that end, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) governs the export and reexport of commodities, software, and technology falling under the jurisdiction of Export Administration Regulations. BIS promotes continued U.S. strategic technology leadership and is responsible for enforcing the regulation of export, reexport, and transfer of items with commercial uses that can also have a dual use, and be used in conventional arms, weapons of mass destruction, terrorist activities, or human rights abuses, and less sensitive military items, which bleeds into cybersecurity as well.

Cybersecurity has recently become an essential aspect in export controls and on October 21, 2021, BIS published its Interim Final Rule (this rule is effective January 19, 2022), which summary states:

SUMMARY: This interim final rule outlines the progress the United States has made in export controls pertaining to cybersecurity items, revised Commerce Control List (CCL) implementation, and requests from the public information about the impact of these revised controls on U.S. industry and the cybersecurity community. Specifically, this rule establishes a new control on these items for National Security (NS) and Anti-terrorism (AT) reasons, along with a new License Exception Authorized Cybersecurity Exports (ACE) that authorizes exports of […]

By |2022-02-15T13:12:15-05:00February 15, 2022|ACE, EAR, Enforcement, Export, International Trade, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)|Comments Off on Export Controls & Cybersecurity

How to Build and Maintain an Effective Import Compliance Plan

CBP enforcement is on the rise.  If your business is importing into the U.S., or wants to start, our one-hour, NEI accredited, webinar on “Building & Maintaining an Effective Import Compliance Plan”  will provide best practices and TOP tips to build an import compliance plan.

Register today to to hear directly from Senior Trade Advisor, Don Woods, DTL’s president, Jennifer Diaz, and Associate Attorney, Denise Calle as they discuss real life stories, current trends/risks associated with the import process, proactive ways to stay compliant, and the importance of training to avoid costly encounters with CBP. […]

ACE: Auditing Your Export History

If a company or individual believes they have violated export control regulations and the U.S. government is unaware of this violation, proactively and voluntarily disclosing the potential wrongdoing can substantially reduce penalties. A key component of filing a successful voluntary self-disclosure (“VSD”) is uncovering and providing the correct data. Diaz Trade Law has significant experience analyzing ACE export data to evaluate your export compliance and submit successful VSDs that substantially mitigate penalties.

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By |2021-10-07T14:55:38-04:00May 13, 2021|ACE, Best Practices, EAR, EEI, Export, HTS, International Trade, ITAR, Supply Chain, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Census Bureau|Comments Off on ACE: Auditing Your Export History

ACE: Auditing Your Import History

In FY 2020 alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) import audits resulted in over $44.6 million being collected by CBP. Similarly, CBP collected over $20.1 million in FY 2020 from trade-related penalties and liquidated damages. Prior to CBP auditing you, there is a lot you can do to be proactive about import compliance. The first step is getting a clear picture of your imports by accessing and analyzing your import data on the Automated Commercial Environment (“ACE”). An ACE  audit can identify duty-saving opportunities and open risks.

To date, CBP has collected $87.8 billion in China 301 tariffs. If you have paid Section 301 China tariffs on Lists 3 and 4 and you have joined the landmark lawsuit demanding full refunds on these tariffs paid, it is critical that you understand the extent of China tariffs that you have paid, and proactively look out for liquidations. Proactively and comprehensively auditing your ACE import data is the first step.

Whether you are new to importing or a seasoned professional, this one-hour webinar is a must attend. Register today to hear directly from our Diaz Trade Law President Jennifer (Jen) Diaz about audit risks and duty-saving opportunities. Jen is a Chambers ranked, Board Certified International Attorney specializing in customs and international trade.

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By |2021-07-22T12:11:44-04:00May 11, 2021|ACE, Best Practices, Customs Expert, Import, International Trade, Pre-compliance, Reasonable Care, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|Comments Off on ACE: Auditing Your Import History

Fifth Round of 301 Product Exclusions Involving List 4A – $300B

On June 23, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) #43134617 as guidance on the fifth round of product exclusions for List 4A of the Section 301 trade remedies. These exclusions were announced in Federal Register Notice (FRN) 85 FR 35975.

According to the CSMS, duty exclusions granted by the USTR under this exclusion are retroactive for imports on or after the initial effective date of September 1, 2019.  To request a refund of Section 301 duties paid on previous imports of products granted duty exclusions by the USTR, importers may file a Post Summary Correction (PSC) if within the PSC filing time frame. If the entry is beyond the PSC filing time frame, importers may protest the liquidation if within the protest filing time frame. These exclusions will be available through September 1, 2020 under 9903.88.49.

The following chart details exclusions per Tranche as well as provides the secondary HTSUS that should be used by importers when filing entry with CBP. The secondary HTSUS signals to CBP the merchandise is excluded from the applicable Tranche.   

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By |2021-03-26T12:23:29-04:00June 29, 2020|ACE, Best Practices, China, China Trade War, Customs Expert, Enforcement, Export, Import, International Business, International Law, International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|Comments Off on Fifth Round of 301 Product Exclusions Involving List 4A – $300B

CBP Needs Your Help to Improve their Operations in the 21st Century Business Environment – COMMENT PERIOD NOW OPEN!

RegulationsU.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has announced the re-opening of the public comment period on the six key themes identified by “The 21st Century Customs Framework” initiative. Now is your chance to provide feedback to CBP that can benefit your supply chain and the US economy.

CBP appreciates the need to stay modern to face the challenges of an evolving business landscape. To fulfill its mission, CBP is carrying out an initiative entitled “The 21st Century Customs Framework” which will seek to address and improve many aspects of CBP’s trade mission to better position the agency to operate in the 21st Century business environment. Below are the topics CBP is seeking public input on:

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Why You Need Your VERY OWN ACE Account

The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system designed to facilitate legitimate trade while enhancing border security. ACE improves collection, sharing, and processing of information submitted to CBP and government agencies.

You can now double check your entries filed by your broker  with CBP & directly (or via a trusted consultant) interact with CBP via ACE!

ACE provides a single, centralized access point for the trade community to connect with CBP and its Partner Government Agencies (PGAs). It is the primary system through which the trade community reports imports and exports and the government determines admissibility. Through ACE as the Single Window, manual processes are streamlined and automated, paper is being eliminated, and the trade community is able to more easily and efficiently comply with U.S. laws and regulations.

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