Laurel Industrial, Inc., San Jose, California, Agrees to Settle Civil Charges for Unauthorized Export of Underwater Acoustic Detection Equipment to China

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that Laurel Industrial, Inc. of San Jose, California, will pay a $44,000 civil penalty to settle administrative charges that it violated the Export Administration Regulations in connection with unauthorized exports of underwater acoustic detection equipment to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Laurel also agreed to complete an internal export compliance audit and submit the results of that audit to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

BIS and Laurel resolved charges that, between March 1999 and February 2000, Laurel knowingly exported three DS7000 acoustic deck units used for underwater acoustic detection to the PRC without the required Commerce Department export licenses. Exports of such items are controlled for national security reasons. BIS also charged that Laurel made false or misleading statements on export documents related to the shipments.

Acting Assistant Secretary Wendy L. Wysong commended BIS’s Office of Export Enforcement, San Jose Field Office, for its work in this investigation.

The BIS Office of Export Enforcement enforces export control and related public safety laws to advance U.S. national security, foreign policy and economic interests.

Acting Assistant Secretary Wysong commended the Special Agents of the San Jose Field Office of the Office of Export Enforcement for their work on this investigation.