EXTRANCHECK: POST-SHIPMENT VERIFICATION; JORDAN

UNCLAS AMMAN 003808 SIPDIS U.S. CUSTOMS HQS FOR STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS ROME FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE USDOC FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR KEVIN BRENNAN USDOC FOR OEA/532 MARY R. CORSEY/D. JOHNSON/A. DYSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ETRD ETTC JO SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: POST-SHIPMENT VERIFICATION; JORDAN BROMINE COMPANY LTD. (APPLICATION NUMBER D292692/D293119) REF: A. USDOC 03125 ¶B. AMMAN 00380 ¶C. USDOC 00298 ¶1. IN RESPONSE TO REF A POST-SHIPMENT VERIFICATION ON APPLICATIONS D292692/D293119, ECONOFFS VISITED THE JORDAN BROMINE COMPANY'S (JBC'S) BROMINE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN GHORE SAFI, SOUTHERN JORDAN, ON JULY 8, 2002 AND MET WITH JBC MATERIALS MANAGER W.C. (GRAIG) RUSSENHOLT. RUSSENHOLT WARMLY WELCOMED ECONOFFS AND EXPLAINED THAT REF A EXTRANCHECK EQUIPMENT, CONSISTING OF 5 HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS, TAG 1140989P24P1, AS WELL AS THE 8 ACRIS BUTTERFLY VALVES, TAG VF166 AND VF167.3 RESPECTIVELY, HAD ALREADY BEEN INTEGRATED IN THE ASSORTED BROMINE MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLIES. ECONOFFS CONSEQUENTLY REQUESTED AND WERE GIVEN A TOUR OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ASSEMBLIES AS A MEANS TO VERIFY EQUIPMENT INTEGRATION AND PROPER USE AS STIPULATED BY REF C EXPORT LICENSE. NO UNTOWARD DEVELOPMENTS AROSE AND REF A EXTRANCHECK EQUIPMENT WAS VERIFIED TO BE ON SITE AND IN PLACE AS DESIGNED. ¶2. AS A WELCOME ASIDE, RUSSENHOLT BRIEFED ECONOFFS IN DETAIL REGARDING JBC'S RECENT IMPLEMENTATION OF ADDED SECURITY MEASURES AT THE PLANT. THESE MEASURES INCLUDED STRENGTHENED PERMITER SECURITY, ADDITIONAL GUARDS TO SCREEN ACCESS/EGRESS, ETC., IN RESPONSE TO SUGGESTIONS OFFERED BY SCO AND ECONOFF DURING REF B VISIT. RUSSENHOLT NOTED THAT ENHANCED SECURITY INITIATIVES ARE BEING CONSIDERED AND WILL LIKELY BE IMPLEMENTED BY A PHASE-IN, GRADUAL APPROACH. ¶3. RUSSENHOLT CLEARLY EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR USDOC AND EMBASSY ASSISTANCE IN SMOOTHING THE DELIVERY OF CRITICAL U.S.-ORIGIN EQUIPMENT FOR THE PLANT AND NOTED THAT AS A RESULT, JBC FACILITY CONSTRUCTION IS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION INDICATES THAT JBC WILL USE REF A EQUIPMENT IN COMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF EXPORT LICENSES D262962 AND D293119, WITHOUT EXCEPTION. GIVEN THE SIZE AND IMPORTANCE OF THIS UNIQUE JOINT VENTURE, WE APPRECIATE USDOC'S DEMONSTRATED EFFORTS TO SPEED THE EXTRANCHECK PROCESS. Gnehm