Revisions to the Export Administration Regulations: Addition of the Republic of South Korea to Australia Group (AG), Clarification to the Sample Shipments Exemption in ECCN 1C350, and Correction to the Commerce Country Chart

As of October 1996, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a member of the Australia Group (AG). Therefore, South Korea is to be treated as an AG member under U.S. regulations. This includes exemption from certain requirements under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for items controlled for Chemical/Biological weapons proliferation (CB) reasons. In addition, this rule makes a clarification to the exemption for sample shipments in ECCN 1C350 and corrections to Supplement Number 1 to part 738, the Commerce Country Chart, CB Column 3 (Chemical and Biological Weapons), by removing the license requirement symbol ``X'' from Romania and South Africa, as this symbol was inadvertently included in previous regulations, and removing all the license requirement symbols ``X'' from the Iraq row and replacing them with the phrase that is common to all embargoed destinations, ``See part 746 of the EAR to determine whether a license is required in order to export or reexport to this destination''. This action will lessen the administrative burden on U.S. exporters, by decreasing license application requirements for exports of items controlled for CB reasons to South Korea, Romania, and South Africa.