Plenary Sessions:

Senior Interagency Panel - November 1
20th Anniversary: Reaching Out to Industry: Past, Present, Future

In observance of the 20th anniversary of the annual Update Conference, this panel will address the ongoing tradition of communication and cooperation among U.S. Government export control agencies and the business sector. Agencies have forged an alliance with U.S. exporters to strive toward efficiencies in all aspects of the export control system, from electronic license submissions and regulatory policy development, to outreach, compliance and enforcement. This ongoing collaborative effort has resulted in balanced and effective export control policy and procedures.

Export Enforcement - November 2

Discussion by senior BIS Export Enforcement leadership of significant enforcement and antiboycott compliance topics in Fiscal Year 2007. This will include year-end enforcement statistics, patterns and trends in violations, end-use check results and tips for exporters, significant cases, and enforcement focus/topics for Fiscal Year 2007.

Industry Exchange - November 2

This plenary will provide an opportunity for attendees to interact with each other to raise questions, express concerns or present scenarios and have peers respond about similar experiences and ideas. Senior BIS officials from EA and EE will moderate the discussion, and provide regulatory input, as appropriate.

Sessions and Activities:

Exhibit Hall - October 31

Government and industry exhibitors will be on hand to provide information on available export related programs and services. The exhibit area will be located on the Constitution level in the Ballroom.

BIS Meet and Greet- October 31

Meet and greet personnel from the BIS offices that review your items. BIS representatives from licensing and enforcement offices will be on hand in specially marked booths in the Exhibitor's Hall to provide information on policies and requirements related to your transactions.

Export Management and Compliance Pavilion - October 31

The staff of the Export Management and Compliance Division will provide continuous opportunities on Wednesday, October 31 to learn about the development of an Export Management and Compliance Program. The staff will introduce and facilitate discussion on export management and compliance topics throughout the day. The Pavilion will be located on the Independence Level. This is a walk-in venue that you may visit at anytime to participate in discussions or talk with a counselor.

Breakfast Roundtables with BIS and Interagency Staff - November 1

BIS and interagency staff will be available for you to meet during breakfast on the morning of Friday, November 2 in the Independence Ballroom. There will be three 30 minute sessions - from 7:30am-8:00am, 8:05am-8:35am, and 8:40am-9:10am. You may take part in all sessions, but to provide ample opportunity to network, you will be required to select a different table for each session. There will be a guide in your program material to identify the staff member and area of expertise as well as the table where you will find each person. Tables will be numbered. This event is first come, first served.

SNAP Redesign Innovations: User Group Sign-Up, Demonstrations and Hands-On Training - Ongoing

Interactive demonstrations of the SNAP-R will be available throughout the three days of the conference in the SNAP-R demonstration area on the Independence Level. BIS technical support staff will guide you through a hands-on experience using the SNAP-R on-line application submission system and answer your questions about its use.

Breakout Sessions:

Validated End-User Program

This session will examine the implementation and current status of the Authorized Validated End-User (VEU) Program that permits exports, reexports and transfers of eligible items to end-users who have been approved in advance. The discussion also will explore the impact of this procedure on exports to countries, such as China, VEU application procedures, the application review process, and compliance with VEU requirements.

Reexport Regulations

This presentation will cover the parts of the Export Administration Regulations that impact reexports and transfers of U.S. items overseas to third parties. A senior regulatory analyst will explain when a reexport is subject to the EAR, the responsibilities of U.S. persons, the de minimis rule for U.S. content, and license exceptions applicable to reexports. In addition, the analyst will discuss compliance tips for U.S. industry and foreign receivers of U.S. items.

Foreign Policy Controls & Economic Sanctions Q’s & A's

This interactive question and answer forum will give attendees the opportunity to engage experts from BIS and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on the EAR and Foreign Assets Control Regulations, respectively. BIS officials will field questions on foreign policy and embargo policies under the EAR. OFAC officials will address issues relating to OFAC regulations affecting exports and financial transactions with countries that are under an embargo or economic sanctions. The attendees will guide the discussion through their questions and issues of interest.

Antiboycott Compliance

The antiboycott laws contained in the Export Administration Act of 1979 and the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act prohibit U.S. firms from participating in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. This session will deal with the application of the Commerce and Treasury antiboycott regulations to export transactions. An overview of the new Commerce antiboycott penalty guidelines will also be presented.

Foreign Nationals & Deemed Exports

This panel will cover the policies and procedures governing the transfer of technology to foreign nationals in the United States - - deemed exports. The panel will provide a historical retrospective of deemed exports and the challenges presented in today’s national security environment. This session will include a discussion of the activities of the Deemed Export Advisory Committee and its year long, top-down review of deemed export licensing policy. Current issues in deemed exports, deemed export outreach strategy, and new initiatives will be addressed.

Defense Industrial Base Programs

In addition to the administration of export controls, BIS’s mission includes supporting continued U.S. technology leadership in industries that are essential to U.S. national security. This panel will describe how BIS seeks to fulfill this mission by securing the delivery of products for national defense, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure programs; by working with interagency partners to support the sale of U.S. defense products overseas; and by assessing the national security, defense industrial base, and export control implications of foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies.

Technology, Software & Encryption

This session will offer an overview of technology export licensing trends and the application of regulatory provisions to technology exports, including the de minimis rule and the foreign direct product rule. The panel will discuss classification of technology and software, and the unique provisions related to encryption technology under the Export Administration Regulations.

Automated Export System (AES) (Census Bureau)

Census officials will explain the Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division initiatives for 2007. These include an update on the AES Compliance Review Teams, Best Practices and the Paper Filer Project. A BIS representative will discuss BIS initiatives to enchance coordination with AES.

EAR/ITAR Jurisdiction Q’s & A’s

Determining whether an item is under the export control jurisdiction of BIS or the State Department is a critical factor for some exporters. This interactive question and answer format will allow attendees to pose questions and make comments to BIS and State officials who oversee the commodity jurisdiction process.

International Practices in Export Controls

Foreign government representatives will present information on their countries export control regulations, policies and practices.

Export Control List Development

BIS licensing division directors will discuss the process for reviewing and developing recommendations for changes to the Commerce Control List (CCL). They also will explain how the export control regimes cooperate to develop the multilaterally implemented control lists. They will report on the status of BIS's systematic review of the CCL and the comments received in response to the July 17, 2007 request for public comments. Recent and upcoming changes to the control lists and the role of the Technical Advisory Committees will be summarized.