BIS Extends Validity of International Import Certificate From Six to 24 Months After Date of Issue

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security updated its International Import Certificate on Oct. 31 to reflect several changes, including an amendment that extends the validity of the certificate from six months to 24 months after the date of issue. The IIC certifies to the U.S. that the importer will only re-export their goods in compliance with U.S. export controls

BIS agreed to the 18-month extension after it was recommended by the Firearms and Ammunition Import/Export Roundtable, which said in July comments that the six-month term was “often too short for the importer to realistically complete a transaction.” Importers were “frequently” forced to submit requests for a second certificate to “support the exact same transaction,” causing unnecessary paperwork. The additional paperwork places unnecessary burden on U.S. agencies, delays U.S. importers and “confuses” foreign customers when a replacement certificate is provided during a transaction, the roundtable said. “Having to seek multiple IICs for the same transaction muddles the transaction,” the comments said, “and provides no administrative or law enforcement benefit.”