Bill calls for enhanced AES to block inadvertent illegal exports

Bill calls for enhanced AES to block inadvertent illegal exports U.S. House lawmakers Reps. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., have introduced legislation that they say should help “clarify” aspects of the federal government’s Automated Export System for legitimate exports, and crack down on those exporters and freight forwarders who try to evade the system’s controls to facilitate illegal shipments.
   The 'Securing Exports Through Coordination and Technology Act of 2008 (HR 5828)' would require the federal government to “modernize” AES to prevent forwarders, who facilitated 78 percent of the $1.62 trillion in U.S. exports for 2007, and others from inadvertently making illegal exports to restricted parties or embargoed countries.
   The enhanced AES system would also coordinate export control and tariff classifications to provide warnings to exporters that the item in question may require a license. “This warning would dramatically reduce avoidable errors and associated fines assessed to small exporters,” the lawmakers said in an April 17 press release.
   In addition, the bill calls for strengthened criminal and administrative prosecution of exporters who attempt to circumvent the electronic export controls. The lawmakers said the enhanced AES system would “leave a trail of evidence for those who enter a false name or destination in an attempt to export a prohibited item.”
   'Because of the complexity of our export laws, freight forwarders and others often get hit with costly penalties when they make honest mistakes,' Manzullo said. 'This legislation would end the confusion and prevent inadvertent errors while cracking down on the bad actors who deliberately try to circumvent the system. The end result would be a more efficient export control system that helps legitimate companies sell their goods overseas and cracks down on those who deliberately try to export prohibited items.'
   'These changes will prevent well-intentioned exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and others who are essential to our economy from accidentally shipping prohibited goods or shipping to a prohibited location. At the same time, it will make it easier to detect and track intentional violators of our export laws,' Smith added.
   Information collected in AES helps federal agencies such as Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Industry and Security to stop illicit exports before they leave the United States, and the Census Bureau to calculate the country’s trade statistics.
   To eliminate lingering filings of paper shipper’s export declarations, Census and CBP plan to soon introduce regulations that will mandate the use of AES by exporters and freight forwarders approved to use the system. ' Chris Gillis