U.S. EXPORT ADMINISTRATION ISSUES FINES, SETTLES CHARGES WITH EXPORTERS

   The U.S. Commerce Department’s Export Administration issued fines
against two shippers for breaking its export control rules.
   The agency imposed a $10,000 fine on Illinois-based Varlen Corp. for a false statement made by its former subsidiary Precision Scientific, on an export control document in connection with a shipment to Iran.
   Laser Devices, a Monterey, Calif.-based firm, was fined $10,000 by the Export Administration for illegally shipping a laser gun sight to Taiwan.
   The agency also settled charges with two other firms, American Type
Culture Collection of Manassas, Va., and Gilbert & Jones of New Britain.
   American Type Culture Collection allegedly shipped U.S.-origin
microorganisms to various destinations without obtaining the required
export licenses between 1993 and 1996. The company will collaborate with the Export Administration to improve compliance with export controls of biological agents.
   Gilbert & Jones will pay $5,000 penalty for exporting U.S.-origin
potassium cyanide to Taiwan without the proper U.S. export licenses.