Foreign Trade Regulations Streamlining

Content

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

By this rule, the Census Bureau is amending its foreign trade regulations by consolidating and streamlining certain cross-references
to, and restatements of, other regulations and authorities. This action is intended to simplify and streamline the foreign
trade regulations, and thereby promote efficiency, without affecting any substantive obligations or entitlements.

DATES:

The rule is effective March 30, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daniel Sweeney, Senior Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, at (202) 482-1395.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

By this rule, the Census Bureau is amending its foreign trade regulations at 15 CFR part 30. The regulations at part 30 were
promulgated in their current structure via final rule on June 2, 2008 (73 FR 31555), and they have been amended multiple times
since (see, e.g., 74 FR 38914, Aug. 5, 2009; 78 FR 16366, Mar. 14, 2013; 79 FR 49659, Aug. 22, 2014; 79 FR 54588, Sept. 12, 2014; 82 FR 18383,
Apr. 19, 2017; 82 FR 43842, Sept. 20, 2017; 83 FR 17749, Apr. 24, 2018; 90 FR 39112, Aug. 14, 2025). The Census Bureau now
again amends such regulations. Specifically, the Census Bureau is streamlining its cross-references to, and restatements of,
other export control and licensing requirements at §§ 30.15-30.19. See 15 CFR 30.15-30.19. The Census Bureau is doing so by consolidating the general language of § 30.19 into § 30.15; renaming
and otherwise streamlining § 30.15 to generally establish the existence of other export control and licensing requirements;
and removing §§ 30.16, 30.17, and 30.18 (which, respectively, merely cross-reference the Export Administration Regulations,
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations, and the U.S. Department of State regulations). These described changes
will streamline part 30 and remove unnecessary language, thereby promoting efficiency without affecting any substantive obligations
or entitlements. These changes will also reduce the cost associated with amending those cross-referenced and restated authorities.
Lastly, these changes will foster direct review of and reliance on the text of those other authorities, which can speak for
themselves.

Regulatory Classifications

A. Administrative Procedure Act

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Department finds good cause to waive the prior notice and opportunity for public participation
requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act for this final rule. The Department has determined that prior notice and
opportunity for public participation is unnecessary because this rule only consolidates and removes regulatory language that
is not required by statute

  and that merely cross-references and/or restates other authorities; public comment could not justify the continued maintenance
  of such regulatory language, in its current form, under the Department's broader regulatory policies. The Department has also
  determined that delaying this amendment for the sake of carrying out the notice and comment process would be contrary to the
  public interest, as the language being consolidated and removed by this rule serves no meaningful independent purpose and
  contributes unnecessary complexity and clutter to part 30. The Department therefore finds good cause to waive the public notice
  and comment period under 553(b)(B) and, for the same reason, to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness under 553(d).

B. Executive Orders 12866, 14192, 13132

The Office of Management and Budget has determined this rule is not significant pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 12866.
This rule is an E.O. 14192 deregulatory action. This rule does not contain policies having federalism implications as the
term is defined in E.O. 13132.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act

Because a notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for public participation are not required to be given for this
rule by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are not applicable. Accordingly, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required, and none has been prepared.

D. Paperwork Reduction Act

This rule will not impose additional reporting or recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 30

Economic statistics, Exports, Foreign trade, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

George M. Cook, Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties
of the Director of the Census Bureau, approved the publication of this notice in the
Federal Register
.

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Census Bureau amends 15 CFR part 30 to read as follows:

PART 30—FOREIGN TRADE REGULATIONS

Regulatory Text 1. The authority citation for part 30 continues to read as follows:

Authority:

5 U.S.C. 301; 13 U.S.C. 301-307; Reorganization plan No. 5 of 1990 (3 CFR 1949-1953 Comp., p.1004); Department of Commerce
Organization Order No. 35-2A, July 22, 1987, as amended and No. 35-2B, December 20, 1996, as amended; Public Law 107-228,
116 Stat. 1350.

Subpart B—Export Control and Licensing Requirements

Regulatory Text 2. Revise § 30.15 to read as follows:

§ 30.15 Other Federal regulatory requirements.

(a) For export shipments to foreign countries, the EEI is used both for statistical and for export control purposes. All parties
to an export transaction must comply with all relevant export control regulations, as well as the requirements of the statistical
regulations of this part. For regulations and information concerning other agencies that exercise export control and licensing
authority for particular types of commodity shipments, a USPPI, its authorized agent, or other party to the transaction shall
consult the appropriate agency regulations.

(b) Independent of the reporting requirements set forth in § 30.6, other Federal agencies have requirements regarding the
reporting of certain types of export transactions. The USPPIs and/or authorized agents are responsible for adhering to these
requirements.

(c) This part requires the retention of documents or records pertaining to a shipment for five years from the date of export.
All records concerning license exceptions or license exemptions shall be retained in the format (including electronic or hard
copy) required by the controlling agency's regulations.

(d) In accordance with the provisions of Subpart G of this part, information from the EEI is used solely for official purposes,
as authorized by the Secretary of Commerce, and any unauthorized use is not permitted.

§§ 30.16 through 30.19 [Removed and Reserved] Regulatory Text 3. Remove and reserve §§ 30.16 through 30.19.

Dated: March 24, 2026. Shannon Wink, Program Analyst, Policy Coordination Office, U.S. Census Bureau. [FR Doc. 2026-06133 Filed 3-27-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-07-P

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