Action Affecting Export Privileges; Summit United Industries, Inc.; Order Denying Export Privileges

On August 18, 1999, Summit United Industries, Inc. (Summit) was convicted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C.A. 1701-1706 (1991 & Supp. 2000)) (IEEPA). Specifically, Summit was convicted of aiding and abetting United States persons and others known and unknown to the United States Attorney of knowingly and willfully exporting, and causing to be exported, two sets of gear and shaft assemblies intended for use in a gear box used in an industrial turbine from the United States to Italy for ultimate delivery to WAHA, located in Tripoli, Libya, without the written authorization of the United States Government.

Section 11(h) of the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (currently codified at 50 U.S.C.A. app. 2401-2420 (1991 & Supp. 2000)) (the Act), provides that, at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce, no person convicted of violating the IEEPA, or certain other provisions of the United States Code, shall be eligible to apply for or use any export license issued pursuant to, or provided by, the Act or the Export Administration Regulations (currently codified at 15 CFR parts 730-774 (2000), as amended (65 Fed. Reg. 14862, March 20, 2000)) (the Regulations), for a period of up to 10 years from the date of the conviction. In addition, any license issued pursuant to the Act in which such a person had any interest at the time of conviction may be revoked.

Pursuant to sections 766.25 and 750.8(a) of the Regulations, upon notification that a person has been convicted of violating the IEEPA, the Director, Office of Exporter Services, in consultation with the Director, Office of Export Enforcement, shall determine whether to deny that person's export privileges for a period of up to 10 years from the date of conviction and shall also determine whether to revoke any license previously issued to such a person.

Having received notice of Summit's conviction for violating the IEEPA, and after providing notice and an opportunity for Summit to make a written submission to the Bureau of Export Administration before issuing an Order denying its export privileges, as provided in section 766.25 of the Regulations, I, following consultations with the Director, Office of Export Enforcement, have decided to deny Summit's export privileges for a period of five years from the date of its conviction. The five-year period ends on August 18, 2004. I have also decided to revoke all licenses issued pursuant to the Act in which Summit had an interest at the time of its conviction.

Accordingly, it is hereby Ordered

I. Until August 18, 2004, Summit United Industries, Inc., 6707 Sutter Park Lane, Houston, Texas 77066, may not, directly or indirectly, participate in any way in any transaction involving any commodity, software or technology (hereinafter collectively referred to as “item”) exported or to be exported from the United States, that is subject to the Regulations, or in any other activity subject to the Regulations, including, but not limited to:

A. Applying for, obtaining, or using any license, License Exception, or export control document;

B. Carrying on negotiations concerning, or ordering, buying, receiving, using, selling, delivering, storing, disposing of, forwarding, transporting, financing, or otherwise servicing in any way, any transaction involving any item exported or to be exported from the United States that is subject to the Regulations, or in any other activity subject to the Regulations; or

C. Benefiting in any way from any transaction involving any item exported or to be exported from the United States that is subject to the Regulations, or in any other activity subject to the Regulations.

II. No person may, directly or indirectly, do any of the following:

A. Export or reexport to or on behalf of the denied person any item subject to the Regulations;

B. Take any action that facilitates the acquisition or attempted acquisition by the denied person of the ownership, possession, or control of any item subject to the Regulations that has been or will be exported from the United States, including financing or other support activities related to a transaction whereby the denied person acquires or attempts to acquire such ownership, possession or control;

C. Take any action to acquire from or to facilitate the acquisition or attempted acquisition from the denied person of any item subject to the Regulations that has been exported from the United States;

D. Obtain from the denied person in the United States any item subject to the Regulations with knowledge or reason to know that the item will be, or is intended to be, exported from the United States; or

E. Engage in any transaction to service any item subject to the Regulations that has been or will be exported from the United States and which is owned, possessed or controlled by the denied person, or service any item, of whatever origin, that is owned, possessed or controlled by the denied person if such service involves the use of any item subject to the Regulations that has been or will be exported from the United States. For purposes of this paragraph, servicing means installation, maintenance, repair, modification or testing.

III. After notice and opportunity for comment as provided in Section 766.23 of the Regulations, any person, firm, corporation, or business organization related to Summit by affiliation, ownership, control, or position of responsibility in the conduct of trade or related services may also be subject to the provisions of this Order.

IV. This Order does not prohibit any export, reexport, or other transaction subject to the Regulations where the only items involved that are subject to the Regulations are the foreign-produced direct product of U.S.-origin technology.

V. This Order is effective immediately and shall remain in effect until August 18, 2004.

VI. In accordance with Part 756 of the Regulation, Summit may file an appeal from this Order with the Under Secretary for Export Administration. The appeal must be filed within 45 days from the date of this Order and must comply with the provisions of Part 756 of the Regulations.

VII. A copy of this Order shall be delivered to Summit. This Order shall be published in the Federal Register.