INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Extrancheck: Post Shipment Verification: Tect Electronics

Published: Mon 27 Aug 2007 09:06 AM
VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHHK #2232/01 2390906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270906Z AUG 07
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2729
RUEAIAO/HQ ICE IAO WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS HONG KONG 002232
SIPDIS
USDOC FOR 532/OEA/LHINES/DFARROW
USDOC FOR 3132 FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR WILLIAM ZARIT
BICE FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS
BEIJING FOR FCS JEANETTE CHU
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BMGT BEXP HK ETRD ETTC
SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: POST SHIPMENT VERIFICATION: TECT ELECTRONICS
REF: A) USDOC 05826
1.Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided below is
prohibited by Section 12C of the Export Administration Act.
2. As per reftel A request and at the direction of the Office of
Enforcement Analysis (OEA) of the USDOC Bureau of Industry and
Security (BIS), Export Control Officer Philip Ankel (ECO) conducted
a post shipment verification (PSV) at Tect Electronics, Flat 811,
8/F, Hing Wah Center, 82084 Tokwawan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
(Tect). The items in question are three high power broadband solid
state power amplifiers exported to Tect on or about April 7, 2007
and valued at USD 12,000. On the applicable shippers export
declaration (SED), these items are classified as 3A001 and are most
likely controlled for national security (NS) reasons. The ECO notes
that in certain circumstances, items that fall into the applicable
ECCN (3A001) may be exported or reexported to mainland China without
a license, particularly where they are destined for civil use.
However, in other circumstances, 3A001 items require a license to
mainland China regardless of end-use. This difference is dependant
on the ECCN subcategory into which the applicable items fall. The
exporter was Aethercomm Inc. of San Marcos, California (Aethercomm).
3. Tect is not included in the Hong Kong Companies Registry as it
is not an incorporated entity. According to the Hong Kong Inland
Revenue Department Business Registration Office, Tect is a sole
proprietorship and has been in existence since 1999. The owner is
Hong Kong resident Lo, Kwong Yau with Hong Kong resident identity
card number D2486947. The company has additional offices in
Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing. Its web site (www.tect.com.hk)
provides additional information including a long list of brands.
Its web site also includes various pictures of fighter jets, tanks,
satellites and warships, presumably illustrating applications for
some of its products.
4. The ECO visited Tect at the address referenced above on June 27,
2007 and met with Ms. Connie Kong, Assistant to the CEO. The office
is modest in size, typical for a small trading company in Hong Kong.
Ms. Kong stated that Tect is a distributor of various electronic
components with customers in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore,
Malaysia and Taiwan. The company is based in Hong Kong with sales
offices in Shenzhen and Shanghai. Ms. Kong further stated that Tect
represents approximately 40 brands. The company's products are used
in the telecommunications and semiconductor areas. Tect's suppliers
are located in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Israel
and Korea. The location of customers is linked to the authorized
sales areas provided by Tect's suppliers. For example, in some
instances, Tect may sell products in Hong Kong and Singapore but not
mainland China.
5. Ms. Kong stated that Tect is not always aware of the end use of
the items it sells to Hong Kong companies. However, she stressed
that Tect always discloses customer names and addresses to its
suppliers. Where a license is required, Tect provides its suppliers
with information about its customers so that those suppliers may
apply for licenses, as appropriate. Ms. Kong stated that its
suppliers rarely decline to supply certain Tect customers although
she noted that an Israeli supplier had recently declined to provide
a product to one of its customers. Kong further stated that some
U.S. suppliers had declined to supply certain customers. Ms. Kong
stated that when this occurs, it tends to happen at the early stage
of discussions based on the customer name and the specifications of
the products. This occurs for custom build and what she termed
"special purpose" orders. The ECO stressed to Ms. Kong that Tect
has an independent obligation to comply with U.S. export control
rules and provided her with BIS guidance on reexport controls.
6. As to the specific transaction in question, Ms. Kong confirmed
that Tect had received the items and provided them to Fomax
International Limited in Hong Kong. It was the first order Tect had
received from Fomax. According to the Hong Kong Companies Registry,
Fomax has been in existence since 2001. It has the equivalent of
USD 1200 in share capital and directors are listed as Hong Kong
residents Cheung, Mei (resident identity card number P104011(5) and
Hung, Yuen Chit (resident identity card number A821382(0).
According to Ms. Kong, Fomax is a trading company in Hong Kong.
Related documentation provided by OEA provides that the end-user for
these items will be Chengdu Century Goldenbird Electronic Technology
Limited and the end-use will be "satellite communication".
7. At the time visited, Tect appeared to be a suitable recipient of
the commodities shipped (as reseller) since Tect cooperated with the
PSV and provided all requested information concerning the final
disposition of the applicable items. Tect is likewise familiar with
and stressed its intent to comply with U.S. export control rules.
At the same time, the ECO was not able to inspect the subject items
as they had already been delivered to Tect's customer. Consistent
with guidance on reporting of PSVs where the items cannot be
physically inspected, the ECO recommends that this PSV be classified
as Limited. The ECO further recommends that OEA determine whether
the applicable items are eligible for license-free shipment to
mainland China as this may have an impact on the final
classification of this PSV.
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