U.S. Creates Trade Security Center

The White House Press Office released this week an Executive Order announcing the creation of the Export Coordination Enforcement Center (ECEC). The creation of the trade security center, is part of the Obama Administration efforts to reform U.S. export control laws.

"To enhance our enforcement efforts and minimize enforcement conflicts, executive departments and agencies must coordinate their efforts to detect, prevent, disrupt, investigate, and prosecute violations of U.S. export control laws, and must share intelligence and law enforcement information related to these efforts to the maximum extent possible, consistent with national security and applicable law," says the Executive Order.

The ECEC will be located at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and shall "serve as the primary forum within the Federal Government for executive departments and agencies to coordinate and enhance their export control enforcement efforts and identify and resolve conflicts that have not been otherwise resolved in criminal and administrative investigations and actions involving violations of U.S. export control laws".

In the near future, we will have an additional, more detailed Client Update on this matter, and how it may impact your business or organization.  The complete text of the Executive Order is currently available at the White House press office website.