SIA Articles RSS Feed

State/DDTC Launches Full Version of MARY Status Retrieval System

Lisa Gordon — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has posted a notice on its website announcing that the full version of its MARY Status Retrieval System has gone live.

Mary version 1.0 replaces the lighter precursor version MARY “lite” released on November 11, 2009. MARY provides industry users a quick and convenient way to access their DTrade 2 export license statuses apart from the DTrade 2 interface. MARY will provide the overall status, staffing details and the final decision for cases currently in-work and cases that have been finalized within the last 14 days.

MARY is accessible from the new DTAS Online Portal page (https://dtas-online.pmddtc.state.gov/). Users can also link directly to MARY at https://mary.dtas-online.pmddtc.state.gov/.

Industry is advised to log-on to the DTrade 2 system, to view the most current and detailed case information.

8-Mar-10 1:00 PM

BIS Publishes Compliance Guidelines

Lisa Gordon — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has posted on its website a document entitled Compliance Guidelines: How to Develop an Effective Export Management and Compliance Program and Manual. This 145-page compliance roadmap has chapters on management commitment, risk assessment, drafting an Export Management and Compliance Program manual, compliance training, “cradle to grave” export compliance security and screening, recordkeeping, monitoring and auditing/assessing, and handling export compliance problems/violations.

23-Feb-10 1:00 PM

SIA Speaker of the Year and Volunteer of the Year

Lisa Gordon — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT

SIA honored the Volunteer of the Year and Speaker of the Year at the January luncheon held in Crystal City, VA.

The Speaker of the Year (SOTY) Award is given to a U.S. Government speaker who has gone beyond what is asked of them and actively supports SIA in our mission.

As with the selection of the VOTY, it is difficult to select just one Government speaker when so many have been an integral part of SIA’s conferences. This year, however, there was one U.S. Government Speaker who went above and beyond the call of duty - Tom Donovan of DDTC. Tom has been an active supporter of SIA while at the State Department, and has contributed significantly to both the Winter and Summer Basics Conferences. In particular, he has helped lead the Basics Licensing Workshop and supported Industry with his work on the Agreement Guidelines. In addition, Tom developed the materials and presented at SIA’s first ever Webinar for Electronic Agreements.

The SOTY award is presented in the memory of Stu Quigg, a past SIA president and volunteer. In addition to the award, a donation in the amount of $1,000 will be made to the 1st Infantry Division Foundation in honor of our SOTY.

The Volunteer of the Year (VOTY) Award is given to an SIA volunteer who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and continues to support SIA in achieving its' overall mission. It is always difficult to select just one individual for the award, as all of our volunteers deserve to be recognized for their service to SIA.

This year's award was given to Sandra Cross of Northrop Grumman. Over the years, Sandra has held numerous Conference Committee positions, served as the Basics Workshop Director, contributed as an industry speaker at the Basics and Advanced Conferences, served on publication tasks forces and is always willing to lend a helping hand, even when she is not a committee member or speaker.

The VOTY award is presented in memory of Joyce Poetzl, a long time SIA volunteer. A donation in the amount of $1,000 will be made in Sandra’s name to The Joyce Poetzl Memorial Fund at Washington College, MD.

Congratulations to Sandra and Tom!

21-Feb-10 2:00 PM

Nominations Being Accepted for SIA Board of Directors

Lisa Gordon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:00:00 GMT

SIA will be electing a new Board of Directors for the 2010-2012 term.

f you would like to nominate someone to be considered for a Board position, and they can meet all criteria (see nomination form), please fill out the form and email to Joyce Remington, joyce.remington@baesystems.com

Nominations must be received NLT 15 March 2010.

2010 SIA Board Nomination Form

12-Feb-10 3:00 PM

Electronic Agreement Submissions, Addition (1-25-10)

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has posted on its website the following additional guidance on submitting applications for ITAR Part 124 agreements via D-Trade:

· Electronic Agreement Submissions – Updated

· PowerPoint Presentation entitled Electronic Agreements Concepts and Processes

3-Feb-10 11:00 AM

D-Trade 2 Document Upload Instructions for Licenses, Addition (1-25-10)

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has posted on its website updated DTrade-2 Document Upload Instructions for Licenses.

Applicants should immediately implement the following changes:

· To facilitate the technical review of the submission, all files to be uploaded to D-Trade 2 in support of a license request must use file names that are descriptive in nature. The review of your submission may otherwise be significantly delayed. Do not attach multiple copies of an attachment under different file names. Example: The file name of a technical drawing for the F-4 forward fuselage should be identified as “F-4 Forward Fuselage Drwg No 12345.pdf” (not simply labeled as “technical data.pdf”).

· If Microsoft Word documents must be uploaded, the documents must be saved in the Word 97-2003 Document format with the “.doc” extension. Some government agencies have not upgraded to Microsoft Office 2007 and are unable to open documents with the “.docx” extension.

· The submission must be less than 35MB. Uploading a file greater than 35MB will seriously delay the review of your submission.

3-Feb-10 11:00 AM

State/DDTC has updated its Guidelines for the Permanent Export, Temporary Export, and Temporary Import of Firearms And Ammunition

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has updated its Guidelines for the Permanent Export, Temporary Export, and Temporary Import of Firearms And Ammunition. Click HERE for a copy of these updated Guidelines.

20-Jan-10 10:00 AM

State/DDTC Appoints Lisa Studtmann as Director, Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance

Lisa Gordon — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:00:00 GMT

The State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has announced the appointment of Lisa V. Studtmann as Director, Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance, succeeding former Director David Trimble and Acting Director Daniel J. Buzby.

7-Jan-10 2:00 PM

State/DDTC Updates Key Personnel List

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:00:00 GMT

DDTC Key Personnel

(Please Note: Although telephone numbers for key personnel are supplied, please call the Response Team first when trying to reach us on any matter.)

The Response Team is prepared to respond to the full range of defense trade inquiries. If your inquiry requires the attention of others within DDTC, it will ensure a prompt answer to your call. For best service, call the Response Team first at (202) 663-1282.

6-Jan-10 2:00 PM

State/DDTC Posts New Guidance on Unauthorized Temporary Imports of Defense Articles

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has posted on its website new guidance regarding unauthorized temporary imports of defense articles and the subsequent exports to return the items.

State/DDTC notes that it has seen an increase in the number of instances where a foreign person temporarily returns a defense article for repair or replacement without authorization to a U.S. person without the U.S person’s prior knowledge. In this situation, the U.S. person is unable to coordinate the return and obtain the requisite DSP-61 license or claim the regulatory exemptions under ITAR § 123.4(a)(1).

State/DDTC’s new guidance for such situations is that the U.S. person should investigate the nature and cause of the violation and determine if the U.S. person had any responsibility for the violation. If the U.S. person determines they did not have any responsibility for the violation, then in lieu of submitting a separate Voluntary Disclosure in accordance with ITAR §127.12, the U.S. person can submit a DSP-5 license application to return the defense article to the foreign person. A transmittal letter, signed by the Empowered Official, must be submitted with the application, explaining the reasons why the applicant does not believe they have any responsibility for the violation and the steps taken to make this determination; the identities and addresses of all persons known or suspected to be involved in the activities giving rise to the unauthorized temporary import; and any measures taken to prevent a reoccurrence.

30-Nov-09 9:00 AM

BIS Launches Online Version of STELA

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has launched an online version of its System for Tracking Export License Applications (STELA). You may now check the status of your export or re-export license applications, classification requests and AGR notifications at http://snapr.bis.doc.gov/stela .

The applicant must input their BIS-assigned application control number (ACN) and they will subsequently receive the same status information as communicated through the current phone-based STELA voice response system. With this new online service, the phone-based STELA will be eventually phased out.

24-Nov-09 4:00 PM

IndustryDDTC Notice 11/16/2009: MARY “lite” --- DTrade 2 Quick Status Report

Lisa Gordon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 GMT

The MARY Status Retrieval System will provide Industry Users a quick and convenient way to access their DTrade 2 export license status without having to log on to the DTrade 2 interface.

As an interim measure, DDTC will offer Users the option of using MARY “lite”, a precursor to the full implementation of the MARY Status Retrieval System.

As of Tuesday, November 17, 2009, MARY “lite” will be available online for Industry use. The system will provide only the overall status for cases currently in-process and for cases that have been finalized within the last 14 days. MARY “lite” is a searchable PDF quick case status report accessible from the DTrade Information Center webpage (http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/DTrade). Users can also link directly to the file at http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/DTrade/ML_DT2Status.pdf.

As MARY “lite” will only be updated once a day, Industry will still be able to log-on to the DTrade 2 system, to view the most current and detailed case information.

Action Required

online users:

Adobe Reader of other PDF software is necessary. Specific Instructions on how to search the document are located at the top of the document. A formatted HTML version will be available as well.

pda users:

Mobile Office 6.1 or other mobile PDF software is necessary.

Implementation

MARY “lite” quick case status report will be available on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 and will be refreshed once daily Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The full version of MARY is scheduled for release in Winter 2009.

Inquiries

All inquiries regarding the case status file or its contents should be directed to:

DDTC Response Team
Phone: 202-663-1282
Email: DDTCResponseTeam@state.gov

DTrade Help Desk
Phone: 202-663-2838
Email: dtradehelpdesk@state.gov

16-Nov-09 10:00 PM

2010 SIA Scholarship Program - Applications Due January 15th

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

International Trade Scholarship Program

The Society for International Affairs, Inc. (SIA) is an all volunteer, nonprofit, educational organization that was jointly formed in 1967 by the U.S. Government and Industry. SIA provides a forum for the exchange of information related to export and import licensing and compliance. SIA’s interests cover the entire spectrum of licensing and compliance pertaining to the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, Treasury and Homeland Security, with the primary focus on exports and imports of military and defense related products and services.

As part of our educational mission, SIA has established a program that awards scholarships to students pursuing a degree in the field of International Trade. Scholarships are granted to support studies in areas such as political science; international relations; economics; international business; etc.

Each calendar year, up to four (4) scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $2,500 each and will be paid directly to the college or university. The scholarship recipients will also receive free admission to one of SIA’s 3-day “Basic” conferences.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a rising junior or senior undergraduate or a graduate student, enrolled in an accredited college or university, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants must also be sponsored by a member of SIA.

Criteria for selection, in order of importance, are:

Proven interest or experience in international trade or related area, to include work or volunteer experience;
Current academic standing and performance (must be a rising junior or senior undergraduate, or a graduate student, with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA);
Narrative and letter of recommendation; and
Honors and extracurricular activities.

Please complete the application, along with the following required attachments:

- Official College transcript(s) to include all institutes of higher education;

- A brief, typed narrative explaining your interest in international trade and why you should receive the scholarship; and

- One written recommendation from a professor, work colleague or other individual who can speak to the applicant’s accomplishments and interest in the field of international trade.

For the 2010 Scholarship year, all applications must be received no later than January 15, 2010. Packages should be mailed or emailed to:

The Society for International Affairs

ATTN: International Trade Scholarship Program

P.O. Box 9466

Arlington, VA 22209

admin@siaed.org

2010 SIA Scholarship Application

10-Nov-09 7:00 PM

CHANGE TO SIA MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 GMT

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO SIA MEMBERS

SIA’s membership structure is changing!

Effective January 1, 2010, SIA will have only two types of members – Government (free) & Industry ($25 per year).

Government Membership is limited to:

(1) individuals who are employed directly by a U.S. or State Government agency which regulates, administers, or is otherwise involved in export or import controls or related aspects of international trade; and

(2) Foreign Embassy employees located in the Washington, DC area.

NOTE: This does not include employees from Colleges or Universities, including those that are State institutions, or from government contractors.

Any individual who does not meet the criteria of a government membership may become an Industry Member. Industry membership is on a individual basis (not company) and will cost $25 per year.

Why the change?

For many years, SIA membership was predominately made up of General Members. In recent years the membership has shifted to mostly Associate Members. Associate Members are currently paying a fee of $50 per year while General Membership is free with the requirement of periodically hosting a business luncheon. SIA has reviewed the current structure and decided that the membership should be limited to two types with a single membership fee for all Industry. We have eliminated the requirement for companies to host business luncheons.

What are the benefits of membership?

Industry Members are entitled to a discounted registration fee (currently $100) for SIA conferences. All members receive notices of conferences and events as well as periodic Newsletters. Other benefits include access to the SIA Membership List to network with others on export/import issues; and the opportunity to volunteer for conferences, task forces and other events.

If I am currently an SIA member, what do I need to do?

All General Memberships will be converted to Industry Memberships on January 1, 2010 and you will receive an e-mail notice to update your membership and pay the annual $25 fee.

All Associate Members will automatically be notified via e-mail when their membership is up for renewal and will be required to pay the $25 fee at that time. If you recently paid your membership fee, you will not need to pay until your current membership is due for renewal.

Questions? Please e-mail Jill Garrison - admin@siaed.org

4-Nov-09 2:00 PM

BIS has posted its FY10 Seminar Schedule

Lisa Gordon — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:45:00 GMT

The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted its seminar schedule for FY10. These seminars give you the opportunity to learn first hand from experienced U.S. Government officials about export control policies, regulations, procedures and compliance.

For details, please visit the BIS website: http://www.bis.doc.gov/seminarsandtraining/elsem.htm.

12-Oct-09 1:45 PM

State/DDTC Releases Guidelines for Preparing Electronic Agreements

Lisa Gordon — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has released Guidelines for Preparing Electronic Agreements (Coordinating Draft-3) in conjunction with its announcement that beginning October 19, 2009, it will allow all U.S. applicants to submit agreements electronically via the D-Trade 2 application.

Beginning October 19, 2009, DDTC will allow all U.S. applicants to submit agreements electronically via the D-Trade 2 application. This electronic system will employ the D-Trade 2 Production application as the means for submitting, reviewing, and approving agreement proposals. It will incorporate the DSP-5 tool as the primary instrument (or "vehicle") for transitioning agreements and their respective amendments from one phase of the adjudication process to the next. This process will negate the need for DDTC to issue a separate authorization letter upon approval of a case. All U.S. applicants should note that only new agreements and re-baselined agreements may be submitted initially using the D-Trade 2 production system. Applicants are not authorized to submit an electronic amendment proposal to an approved paper agreement. Once an electronic agreement is approved, electronic amendments to that approval may be submitted.

Due to the unique requirements and formats associated with Agreement processing, DDTC guidelines governing the completion of the DSP-5 form have been modified to allow for its use for this express purpose. U.S. applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the Guidelines for Preparing Electronic Agreements (Coordinating Draft -3) dated October 7, 2009 prior to attempting to submit an electronic agreement. DDTC is requesting that any U.S. applicant not previously approved to submit electronic agreements as part of the Test Phase submit only one initial electronic agreement proposal. Once that application has cleared DDTC and has been forwarded for staffing to additional agencies, the applicant can openly submit applications as required. This initial submission "pause" will allow DDTC analysts to confirm submissions are complete and accurate and minimize the number of potential applications being returned without action. Both paper and electronic submissions of agreement proposals will continue to be accepted; however, DDTC anticipates making the submission of electronic agreement applications mandatory for all applicants in Fall 2010. While the types of information being supplied in the various blocks of the DSP-5 differ from that which is required for submitting individual licenses, the form has not been altered in any significant manner. However, DDTC recommends participating U.S. applicants download the most recent schema from our Production External Web site prior to submitting their first electronic agreement.

https://dt2.pmddtc.state.gov/dtrade/CertificateLogin

8-Oct-09 1:00 PM

State/DDTC Posts Guidance on New Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) Form DS-4076

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:00:00 GMT

(http://pmddtc.state.gov/licensing/documents/WebNotice_AmendmentValueChange.doc)

30 Sep 2009

Web Notice: Effective September 30, 2009, the new Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) form, DS-4076, is available for use. Applicants have the option of using the DS-4076 or continuing to prepare letter-type submissions. The DS-4076 will be processed as a paper document, similar to the current letter-type submissions, with appropriate attachments and copies. At a future date, the DS-4076 will go electronic and at the time, all CJs will be submitted using the DS-4076 electronically. Do not send the DS-4076 via email or on a CD at this time as it will not be accepted. We will make a future announcement when we are able to accept the new form electronically. See the Federal Register Notice at and the DS4076 at . The DS-4076 may also be accessed through the Commodity Jurisdiction tab, which contains additional information. Comments and suggestions regarding the form should be sent to the DDTC Response Team .

30-Sep-09 2:00 PM

DSP Amendments for Value or Quantity Changes (9.30.09)

Lisa Gordon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 GMT

State/DDTC To Halt Processing DSP Amendments for Typographical Errors Involving Value or Quantity Changes

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has posted a notice on its website that effective immediately, it will no longer process DSP amendments for typographical errors involving value or quantity changes. These changes must now be the subject of a replacement license. The applicant must explicitly state in block 20 that the replacement license is to correct erroneously entered value or quantity and cite the original license number.

The reason for this change is that although an erroneously entered unit price or quantity may be an obvious typographical error when supported by the provided purchase documentation, a DSP amendment done under ITAR § 123.25(b) for such errors is not provided to U.S. Customs nor is the information updated in the Automated Export System (AES). The original value or quantity of the DSP license remains unchanged in AES. Because of this, amendments for DSP licenses (DSP-6, 62, 74 and 119) must be limited to administrative changes only that do not impact AES filings.

For further details: DDTC Notice

30-Sep-09 10:00 AM

Licensing of Foreign Persons Employed by a U.S. Person – UPDATED

Lisa Gordon — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has updated its guidance on Licensing of Foreign Persons Employed by a U.S. Person.

Click the link below for the new guidance document. The changes are highlighted in yellow.

Licensing Foreign Persons UPDATE 09.30.09

29-Sep-09 10:00 AM

State/DDTC Updates Statutorily Debarred List

Lisa Gordon — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State/DDTC) has updated its webpage listing statutorily debarred parties. These persons (including entities and individuals) have been convicted of violating or conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). As a consequence, they are subject to “statutory debarment” pursuant to §38(g)(4) of the AECA and §127.7 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Thus, these persons are prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in the export of defense articles (including technical data) and defense services.

The names of these parties and their ineligibility for defense trade have been previously published by DDTC in the Federal Register. Statutory debarment remains in effect unless the debarred person's application for reinstatement of export privileges is granted by DDTC; notice of reinstatement will be published in the Federal Register and the person's name will be removed from the list.

This webpage includes only persons who are subject to statutory debarment for convictions of violating or conspiracy to violate the AECA. This is a small subset of persons who may be debarred or ineligible to participate in the export of defense articles and defense services. In other words, the list does not include persons that may be ineligible under other AECA and ITAR prohibitions or restrictions (e.g., for violations of, or indictments under, other statutes specified in the AECA; ineligibility to receive export or import licenses from other U.S. Government agencies; ineligibility for U.S. Government contracts). In addition, persons may be "administratively debarred" on a case-by-case basis resulting from the resolution of individual enforcement proceedings for violations of the AECA and ITAR.

Although State/DDTC periodically updates these lists, the authoritative source for parties subject to statutory and administrative debarment is the notices published in the Federal Register.

15-Sep-09 2:00 PM