Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2010 Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and Other AG-Related Clarifications and Corrections to the EAR

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) publishes this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the understandings reached at the June 2010 plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG) and to make certain AG-related editorial clarifications and corrections to the EAR. Consistent with the June 2010 AG understandings, this rule amends the chemical manufacturing equipment entry on the Commerce Control List (CCL) of the EAR to reflect the addition of two parenthetical phrases that clarify the description of certain "materials" contained in items on the AG "Control List of Dual-Use Chemical Manufacturing Facilities and Equipment and Related Technology and Software." In addition, this rule makes AG-related clarifications and corrections to the EAR. Specifically, this rule amends the human and zoonotic pathogens and toxins entry and the animal pathogens entry on the CCL by making an update and a clarification that are consistent with the description of items on the AG "List of Biological Agents for Export Control" and the AG "List of Animal Pathogens for Export Control," respectively. Finally, this rule amends the listing for "valves" in the chemical manufacturing equipment entry on the CCL to clarify that it controls "valves" for the "production" of chemicals, as well as "valves" for the "processing" or "containment" of chemicals. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that the AG-related entries on the CCL conform with the wording in the AG Control Lists (as updated by the understandings reached at the 2010 AG Plenary) and to clarify the meaning of terms used in these entries.