Rule2026-06133
Streamlining the Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Regulations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 30, 2026
Effective
March 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15535-15536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06133]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
15 CFR Part 30
[Docket No. 260316-0082]
RIN 0607-AA74
Streamlining the Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Regulations
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce (Department).
ACTION: Final rule.
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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 Sec. Sec. 30.15-30.19. See 15
CFR 30.15-30.19. The Census Bureau is doing so by consolidating the
general language of Sec. 30.19 into Sec. 30.15; renaming and
otherwise streamlining Sec. 30.15 to generally establish the existence
of other export control and licensing requirements; and removing
Sec. Sec. 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
[[Page 15536]]
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
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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
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2. Revise Sec. 30.15 to read as follows:
Sec. 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 Sec.
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.
Sec. Sec. 30.16 through 30.19 [Removed and Reserved]
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3. Remove and reserve Sec. Sec. 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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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 30, 2026.
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