The Census Bureau is still deciding whether to introduce a country of origin reporting requirement in the Automated Export System despite receiving mostly opposing comments on the proposal, with trade groups saying the change could lead to costly compliance challenges (see 2203160026 and 2301230008). Gerry Horner, chief of the agency’s trade regulations branch, said the division should be meeting with upper management “very soon” to decide on the best path forward.

The Census Bureau emailed tips March 20 on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System.

Although more operators are participating in Electronic Export Manifest, CBP again extended a deadline to allow users more time to continue submitting certain documents through the Document Imaging System, the agency said in a March 10 CSMS message. DIS will now continue accepting submissions of “Form 1302A ​​Cargo Declaration - Outward with Commercial Forms” through Oct. 1, CBP said. The deadline was previously extended six months to April 1 (see 2209200080), before the agency last week extended the date for another six months.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda) and round hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda), freshwater mussels found in rivers and lakes in the Eastern U.S., as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect April 10.

The State Department updated several forms in its Defense Export Control and Compliance System last week to add “new voluntary disclosure field questions,” the agency’s Directorate of Defense Trade Control said. The updates to forms DS-6004 (Block 10), DS-4294 (Block 11) and DSP-85 (Block 9) will allow industry to report a disclosure previously filed with DDTC’s compliance division when submitting one of the listed licenses.

The Environmental Protection Agency released a final rule March 3 setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 29 chemical substances subject to Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemical substances for an activity designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. Importers of chemicals subject to these SNURs will need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements, and exporters of these chemical substances will now become subject to export notification requirements. The final rule takes effect May 5. The SNURs cover the following:

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the Upper Coosa River distinct population segment of the frecklebelly madtom (Noturus munitus), a fish species, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect April 3.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is now requiring two new species to have Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species documentation when being imported into or exported from the U.S., it announced in two public bulletins Feb. 21. The small Reunion swallowtail (Papilio phorbanta) will require CITES documentation starting May 21, and the Palestine viper (Daboia palaestinae), starting May 4, FWS said. Both species were added to the CITES Appendix III species list.

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Feb. 27 released a final rule listing the prostrate milkweed (Asclepias prostrata), a plant species from Texas, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect March 30.

The Census Bureau on Feb. 7 officially deployed a new informational message in the Automated Export System to alert exporters when the U.S. Principal Party in Interest address state field and state of origin field don’t match, CBP said in a CSMS message. The message, previewed by the agency last year (see 2212220023), will appear as response code 26C and “will allow the filer to take notice of the USPPI Address and State of Origin fields being reported on the [Electronic Export Information] in the AES when the data elements do not match and make changes.”