EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: HKSAR MARINE DEPARTMENT

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000469 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 532/OEA/LHINES/ADYSON USDOC FOR 3132 FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR WILLIAM ZARIT BICE FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BMGT BEXP HK ETRD ETTC SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: HKSAR MARINE DEPARTMENT REF: A) USDOC 00807 B)D390721 ¶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 pre-license check (PLC) at the Hong Kong Marine Department, Rm. 2411, 24th Floor, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong (Marine Department). The PLC concerned 33 internet firewall hardware and software products. The license applicant is Juniper Networks of Sunnyvale, California. The items are classified under ECCN 5A002 and are controlled for national security reasons (NS). ¶3. Hong Kong Marine Department is a Hong Kong government instrumentality. More information at: (http://www.mardep.gov.hk/). It has five major sections including Planning and Services, Port Control, Multilateral policy, Shipping and Government Fleet. It has more than 1000 employees and is responsible for all navigational matters in Hong Kong and the safety standards of all classes and types of vessels. ¶4. On February 28, 2008, the ECO and Commercial Assistant Carrie Chan visited the Marine Department and met with Mr. Kenneth YK Siu, Senior Information Technology Officer. Mr. Siu provided a general overview of the Marine Department (consistent with information on the Marine Department's web site). ¶5. Mr. Siu was a bit surprised by the visit in that the Marine Department had ordered one of the items (a Juniper SSG 140) in October 2007 and had finally received it just one week before the ECO's visit. That item was shipped under license number D387447 and Mr. Siu provided documentation confirming delivery of that item and confirming that the Marine Department will comply with the relevant license conditions. He stated that there are no other pending orders for Juniper products. ECO surmises that the exporter has applied for an export license for a range of products on the possibility that a future order will materialize (and, if so, the license lead time will be much reduced). ¶6. At the time visited, ECO found Mr. Siu to be both cooperative and credible and observed nothing that would suggest that Hong Kong Marine Department is an unsuitable recipient of the items that are the subject of License D390721. OEA may wish to confirm with the license applicant ECO's conclusion that this license was filed to have a license in place to cover potential future orders. Cunningham