Document ID: BIS-2010-0012-0001
Agency: bis
Document Type: Rule
Title: Implementation of Understandings Reached at the 2009 Australia Group Plenary Meeting and Decision Under AG Intersessional Silent Approval Procedures
Posted Date: 2010-03-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register: March 23, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 55)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 13672-13674]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr10-8]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

15 CFR Part 774

[Docket No. 100119033-0042-01]
RIN 0694-AE85

 
Implementation of Both the Understandings Reached at the 2009 
Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and a Decision Adopted Under the 
AG Intersessional Silent Approval Procedures

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this 
final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to 
implement the understandings reached at the September 2009 plenary 
meeting of the Australia Group (AG). This rule also amends the EAR to 
implement a decision recommended at the 2009 AG Plenary that was 
adopted under the AG intersessional silent approval procedures in 
October 2009.
    Consistent with the understandings reached at the 2009 AG Plenary, 
this final rule amends the EAR to reflect the addition of technical 
notes to the AG ``Control List of Dual-Use Chemical Manufacturing 
Facilities and Equipment and Related Technology and Software.'' The 
purpose of the new technical notes is to: clarify the term ``alloys,'' 
as used in reference to the types of ``materials'' from which such 
equipment is made; and clarify the term ``nominal size,'' as used in 
reference to the valves described on this AG control list.
    This final rule also amends the EAR to reflect the AG decision 
(recommended at the 2009 AG Plenary and adopted under the AG 
intersessional silent approval procedures) to remove ``white pox'' 
virus from the AG ``List of Biological Agents for Export Control.''

DATES: This rule is effective March 23, 2010. Although there is no 
formal comment period, public comments on this regulation are welcome 
on a continuing basis.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0694-AE85, by any 
of the following methods:
     E-mail: publiccomments@bis.doc.gov. Include ``RIN 0694-
AE85'' in the subject line of the message.
     Fax: (202) 482-3355. Please alert the Regulatory Policy 
Division, by calling (202) 482-2440, if you are faxing comments.

[[Page 13673]]

     Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier: Willard Fisher, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Regulatory 
Policy Division, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, W., Room 2705, 
Washington, DC 20230, Attn: RIN 0694-AE85.
    Send comments regarding this collection of information, including 
suggestions for reducing the burden, to Jasmeet Seehra, Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), by e-mail to Jasmeet_K._
Seehra@omb.eop.gov, or by fax to (202) 395-7285; and to the Regulatory 
Policy Division, Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 2705, 
Washington, DC 20230. Comments on this collection of information should 
be submitted separately from comments on the final rule (i.e., RIN 
0694-AE85)--all comments on the latter should be submitted by one of 
the three methods outlined above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Betty Lee, Microbiologist, 
Chemical and Biological Controls Division, Office of Nonproliferation 
and Treaty Compliance, Bureau of Industry and Security, Telephone: 
(202) 482-5817.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export 
Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the understandings 
reached at the annual plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG) that 
was held in Paris, France, on September 21-25, 2009, as well as a 
decision recommended at the 2009 AG Plenary that was adopted under the 
AG intersessional silent approval procedures in October 2009. The AG is 
a multilateral forum, consisting of 40 participating countries, that 
maintains export controls on a list of chemicals, biological agents, 
and related equipment and technology that could be used in a chemical 
or biological weapons program. The AG periodically reviews items on its 
control list to enhance the effectiveness of participating governments' 
national controls and to achieve greater harmonization among these 
controls.
    Consistent with the understandings reached at the 2009 AG Plenary, 
this final rule amends the EAR to conform with certain changes to the 
AG ``Control List of Dual-Use Chemical Manufacturing Facilities and 
Equipment and Related Technology and Software.'' Specifically, this 
rule amends Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 2B350 (Chemical 
manufacturing facilities and equipment) on the Commerce Control List 
(CCL) (Supplement No. 1 to Part 774 of the EAR) by adding a new 
technical note and amending an existing technical note to clarify the 
use of the terms ``nominal size'' and ``alloy'' in connection with 
items controlled under this ECCN.
    First, this rule adds a new technical note immediately following 
2B350.g to clarify that, for purposes of the valves described therein, 
the term ``nominal size'' is defined as the smaller of the inlet and 
outlet port diameters. Second, this rule amends Technical Note 2 at the 
end of ECCN 2B350 to clarify that, with respect to the ``materials'' 
from which the equipment is made, the term ``alloy,'' when not 
accompanied by a specific elemental concentration, is understood as 
identifying those alloys where the identified metal is present in a 
higher percentage by weight than any other element.
    Finally, this rule amends ECCN 1C351 on the CCL to reflect the AG 
decision (recommended at the 2009 AG Plenary and adopted under the AG 
intersessional silent approval procedures) to remove ``white pox'' 
virus from the AG ``List of Biological Agents for Export Control.'' 
Consistent with this change, this rule renumbers and/or reorders 
certain viruses listed in ECCN 1C351.a to conform with the format in 
the AG List of Biological Agents. The AG decision to remove this virus 
from its list of biological agents is based on the fact that the 
International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses does not recognize 
``white pox'' virus as a separate entity, since the virus has been 
determined to be a laboratory artifact resulting from sample 
contamination with the variola virus.
    Although the Export Administration Act expired on August 20, 2001, 
the President, through Executive Order 13222 of August 17, 2001, 3 CFR, 
2001 Comp., p. 783 (2002), as extended by the Notice of August 13, 
2009, 74 FR 41325 (August 14, 2009), has continued the Export 
Administration Regulations in effect under the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act.

Saving Clause

    Shipments of items removed from eligibility for export or reexport 
under a license exception or without a license (i.e., under the 
designator ``NLR'') as a result of this regulatory action that were on 
dock for loading, on lighter, laden aboard an exporting carrier, or en 
route aboard a carrier to a port of export, on April 22, 2010, pursuant 
to actual orders for export or reexport to a foreign destination, may 
proceed to that destination under the previously applicable license 
exception or without a license (NLR) so long as they are exported or 
reexported before May 7, 2010. Any such items not actually exported or 
reexported before midnight, on May 7, 2010, require a license in 
accordance with this regulation.
    ``Deemed'' exports of ``technology'' and ``source code'' removed 
from eligibility for export under a license exception or without a 
license (under the designator ``NLR'') as a result of this regulatory 
action may continue to be made under the previously available license 
exception or without a license (NLR) before May 7, 2010. Beginning at 
midnight on May 7, 2010, such ``technology'' and ``source code'' may no 
longer be released, without a license, to a foreign national subject to 
the ``deemed'' export controls in the EAR when a license would be 
required to the home country of the foreign national in accordance with 
this regulation.

Rulemaking Requirements

    1. This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.
    2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.) (PRA), unless that collection of information displays a currently 
valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number. This rule 
contains a collection of information subject to the requirements of the 
PRA. This collection has been approved by OMB under Control Number 
0694-0088 (Multi-Purpose Application), which carries a burden hour 
estimate of 58 minutes to prepare and submit form BIS-748. Send 
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the 
burden, to Jasmeet Seehra, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and 
to the Regulatory Policy Division, Bureau of Industry and Security, 
Department of Commerce, as indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this 
rule.
    3. This rule does not contain policies with Federalism implications 
as that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    4. The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 
553) requiring notice of proposed rulemaking, the opportunity for 
public participation, and a delay in effective date, are inapplicable 
because this regulation involves a military and foreign affairs 
function of the United

[[Page 13674]]

States (See 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1)). Further, no other law requires that a 
notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for public comment be 
given for this final rule. Because a notice of proposed rulemaking and 
an opportunity for public comment are not required to be given for this 
rule under 5 U.S.C. 553 or by any other law, the analytical 
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
are not applicable.
    Therefore, this regulation is issued in final form. Although there 
is no formal comment period, public comments on this regulation are 
welcome on a continuing basis.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 774

    Exports, Foreign trade, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

0
Accordingly, part 774 of the Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR 
parts 730-774) is amended as follows:

PART 774--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 774 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  50 U.S.C. app. 2401 et seq.; 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.; 
10 U.S.C. 7420; 10 U.S.C. 7430(e); 22 U.S.C. 287c, 22 U.S.C. 3201 et 
seq., 22 U.S.C. 6004; 30 U.S.C. 185(s), 185(u); 42 U.S.C. 2139a; 42 
U.S.C. 6212; 43 U.S.C. 1354; 46 U.S.C. app. 466c; 50 U.S.C. app. 5; 
22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 7210; E.O. 13026, 61 FR 58767, 3 
CFR, 1996 Comp., p. 228; E.O. 13222, 66 FR 44025, 3 CFR, 2001 Comp., 
p. 783; Notice of August 13, 2009, 74 FR 41325 (August 14, 2009).

Supplement No. 1 to Part 774--[Amended]

0
2. In Supplement No. 1 to Part 774 (the Commerce Control List), 
Category 1-- Special Materials and Related Equipment, Chemicals, 
``Microorganisms'' & ``Toxins,'' ECCN 1C351 is amended by revising 
paragraph (a) under ``Items'' in the List of Items Controlled, to read 
as follows:

1C351 Human and zoonotic pathogens and ``toxins'', as follows (see List 
of Items Controlled).

* * * * *

List of Items Controlled

    Unit: * * *
    Related Controls: * * *
    Related Definitions: * * *
    Items:
    a. Viruses, as follows:
    a.1. Chikungunya virus;
    a.2. Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus (a.k.a. Crimean-Congo 
haemorrhagic fever virus);
    a.3. Dengue fever virus;
    a.4. Eastern equine encephalitis virus;
    a.5. Ebola virus;
    a.6. Hantaan virus;
    a.7. Junin virus;
    a.8. Lassa fever virus;
    a.9. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus;
    a.10. Machupo virus;
    a.11. Marburg virus;
    a.12. Monkey pox virus;
    a.13. Rift Valley fever virus;
    a.14. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (Russian Spring-Summer 
encephalitis virus);
    a.15. Variola virus;
    a.16. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus;
    a.17. Western equine encephalitis virus;
    a.18. Yellow fever virus;
    a.19. Japanese encephalitis virus;
    a.20. Kyasanur Forest virus;
    a.21. Louping ill virus;
    a.22. Murray Valley encephalitis virus;
    a.23. Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus;
    a.24. Oropouche virus;
    a.25. Powassan virus;
    a.26. Rocio virus;
    a.27. St. Louis encephalitis virus;
    a.28. Hendra virus (Equine morbillivirus);
    a.29. South American haemorrhagic fever (Sabia, Flexal, Guanarito);
    a.30. Pulmonary and renal syndrome-haemorrhagic fever viruses 
(Seoul, Dobrava, Puumala, Sin Nombre); or
    a.31. Nipah virus.
* * * * *

0
3. In Supplement No. 1 to Part 774 (the Commerce Control List), 
Category 2--Materials Processing, ECCN 2B350 is amended by adding a 
Technical Note immediately following paragraph (g) under ``Items'' in 
the List of Items Controlled and by revising Technical Note 2 at the 
end of the entry to read as follows:

2B350 Chemical manufacturing facilities and equipment, except valves 
controlled by 2A226 or 2A292, as follows (see List of Items 
Controlled).

* * * * *

List of Items Controlled

    Unit: * * *
    Related Controls: * * *
    Related Definitions: * * *
    Items:
* * * * *
    g. * * *

    Technical Note to 2B350.g: The `nominal size' is defined as the 
smaller of the inlet and outlet port diameters

.* * * * *
    j. * * *

    Technical Note 1: * * *

    Technical Note 2:  For the items listed in 2B350, the term 
`alloy,' when not accompanied by a specific elemental concentration, 
is understood as identifying those alloys where the identified metal 
is present in a higher percentage by weight than any other element.

    Dated: March 17, 2010.
Kevin J. Wolf,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-6371 Filed 3-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P