Was recently at BIS Update and wanted to share what is new on the National Export Initiative.

I ran across this report from Management Dynamics. Check it out.

Benchmark Report: Export Compliance Management

This report profiles export compliance programs of large, small, & medium-sized enterprises in many industries to reveal challenges companies face in managing export compliance. Receive a copy of the Export Compliance Benchmark!

The Foreign Agricultural Service has announced new one-year allocations under the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) for July 2010 - June 2011. DEIP allocations of 68,201 metric tons of nonfat dry milk, 21,097 tons of butterfat, and 3,030 tons of various cheeses may be made available through Invitations for Offers. These allocations correspond to total World Trade Organization limits for this year’s DEIP. Because of current international and domestic market conditions, Invitations for Offers will not immediately be made available. USDA will continue to monitor market conditions closely to determine when invitations on these allocations may be issued.

American Shipper is hosting an upcoming webinar, "Building an Export Management and Compliance Program." Sponsored by Management Dynamics (in partnership with BPE), the webinar will take place on July 28th at 2 pm ET. The hour-long round table discussion will include the following expert panelists:

According to this Defense News article, the Obama administration will propose splitting US export enforcement authorities among various federal entities. They don't think administrative and criminal enforcement should be housed under one agency, as it is today. Instead, administrative issues will be handled by one "enforcement coordination agency," while criminal issues will be handled by another agency (possibly several). As you are probably aware, one of the Obama administration's goals is to overhaul current US export control regulations to make US companies more competitive in world trade. Eric Hirschhorn, undersecretary of commerce for industry and security, says the general consensus in Washington is that current export control laws are "too complicated, too redundant, and protect too much."

What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You

Export Control Basics for Brokers, Forwarders and 3PLs

Sandler, Travis & Rosbenberg, P.A. is hosting a webinar that will provide you with an overview of the various agencies in charge of controlling exports from the United States (BIS, OFAC, CBP, etc.). As you are well aware, export enforcement has been stepped up - with increasing penalties for those who don't follow the rules. The webinar will be on June 3, from 1-2 pm. It will be hosted by Peggy Chaplin Louie, who assists clients with both import and export regulation compliance and international shipping issues. Follow this link to register. (The cost is $75, but I think it's well worth it.)

Delegates at the UN conference in Doha on endangered species have axed the trade ban on bluefin tuna. They also shot down a measure intended to protect polar bears.

The Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) has posted a detailed guideline manual regarding their tips for establishing an export management program.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is hosting a two-day program that provides an in-depth examination of the EAR. Co-hosted by the Federation of International Trade Administration (FITA), the program will cover the information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. They will focus on what items and activities are subject to the EAR, steps to take to determine the export licensing requirements, how to determine your export control classification number (ECCN), when you can export or reexport without applying for a license, export clearance procedures and record keeping requirements, an overview of the Export Compliance Management Program (ECMP) concepts, and real life examples in applying this information. Click here for more information.

STRTrade published this helpful summary article encouraging exporters looking to increase their sales to also remain compliant with international trade regulations, especially in relation to the new National Export Initiative:

FINDING A WILLING BUYER ONLY ONE PART OF THE EXPORT PROCESS: Exporters Looking to Boost Business Need

The Obama administration is launching a government-wide effort to double U.S. exports over the next five years as part of a plan to increase domestic employment and boost the U.S. economy. However, companies looking to take advantage of the new National Export Initiative to break into new markets should be aware that shipping goods overseas comes with potential perils as well as opportunities.

As part of the NEI, the federal government plans to increase its trade advocacy efforts, including educating U.S. companies about opportunities overseas, directly connecting them with new customers and advocating more forcefully for their interests. The NEI will also include a focus on improving access to export financing and helping to remove barriers that prevent U.S. companies from getting access to foreign markets. Only a very small percentage of U.S. companies currently export their products, and of those that do, 58% export to only one country. The Obama administration is looking to increase these figures in the expectation that doing so will also increase employment.