After a hectic week of packing, moving, unpacking and installing computers and phones, we are settled in our new offices at the Monarch Mills building in York. This former silk mill has been converted into commercial and residential space and we occupy a small suite right next to MANTEC, our longtime partner organization.

An Open House Celebration is planned for Monday, November 15, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm and we invite you to stop by for some light refreshments and a tour of the facilities. RSVP's are greatly appreciated, but not required and "drop-ins" are always welcome. Send us an email if you are planning to stop by: info@wtccentralpa.org.

Learn why your products qualify as munitions items or defense articles instead of dual use goods and understand what you need to do before exporting or importing defense-related articles during this full day seminar.

Topics include:

• International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
• Arms Export Control Act (AECA)
• Registration with DDTC
• ITAR Enforcement
• Case Studies
• and much more...

Mark your calendars for our annual Holiday Luncheon & Reception on December 3 at the Out Door Country Club in York, PA. This year's event will highlight "Holidays and Gift-Giving Customs in Poland", presented by WTC member Keystone Human Services.

WTC member Ted Murphy, Chair of Baker & McKenzie's International Trade & Customs CompliancePractice has been appointed to serve on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation (ITAC 14).

This is the second WTC member recently appointed to serve on an ITAC committee: Bob Wilson, Sales Vice President of York Wire & Cable Inc was appointed to serve on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC ll) earlier this year.

The ITACs provide detailed policy and technical advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements affecting industry sectors.

On October 6, 2010, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a notice in the Federal Register to solicit comments from the public regarding small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) understanding of and compliance with export controls maintained pursuant to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). BIS anticipates that input from the public will help it administer and enforce export controls in a manner consistent with U.S. national security while facilitating and even increasing legitimate trade involving SMEs and the exporting community in general. Comments must be received by December 6, 2010.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, an agency of the U.S. Government, is offering a workshop in Philadelphia on November 18. The following topics will be covered:

• how to qualify for an OPIC direct loan
• take advantage of undiscovered opportunities in overseas markets
• how OPIC can protect your overseas assets against losses resulting from political violence or government interference
• how to make the most of OPIC's online resources, including how to navigate the online application forms
• how U.S. businesses are utilizing OPIC resources to enter the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology industry of emerging markets

On October 25, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez announced the State's Envoy program as the national winner of the US Economic Development Administration 2010 Innovation in Economic Development Awards.

The Envoy program offers PA companies the opportunity to hire a part-time or full-time staff person in PA's overseas trade offices, providing a low-cost, low-risk, and high-performance method of building a pro-active sales and marketing presence.
Envoy services are currently available in Australia, Chile, China, France, India, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Contact the WTC for more information about the Envoy program and about the free export services available through the State's Center for Trade Development.

US Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Challenging Gender-Based Duties
On October 4, 2010, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the Totes-Isotoner Corp. v. United States case, in which the plaintiffs had unsuccessfully challenged - in lower courts - the imposition of different duty rates for products intended for use by different genders, such as 14% for leather gloves intended for men, but only 12.6% for gloves intended for women and children, on the grounds that such differences were discriminatory. Approximately 150 companies had filed similar suits challenging gender-based duties on a variety of products, including clothing. The lower courts had said that there could be legitimate reasons for differences in duties and that in order to proceed, the plaintiffs had to show that Congress intended to discriminate against the sexes when enacting the duties.

We are planning a year-long celebration with special activities, among them our "Passport to the World" contest, to commemorate out 20th anniversary. Watch for new programs and expanded service offerings starting in January, and just a "heads up": our Birthday Bash Celebration is planned for December 2011. More details coming soon!