EXTRANCHECK: PRE LICENSE CHECK: TRACE ELEMENTS SECTION,

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000179

USDOC FOR 532/OEA/MNICKSON/ADYSON/TWILLIS/EHOLLAND
USDOC FOR 3132 FOR FCS/OIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR PATRICK SANTILLO
BICE FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INVESTIGATIONS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BMGT BEXP HK ETRD ETTC
SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE LICENSE CHECK: TRACE ELEMENTS SECTION,
GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG LABORATORY

REF: A) D409681 B) USDOC 00092



1. Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided below is
prohibited by Section 12C of the Export Administration Act.


2. 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 Trace Elements Section, Government of Hong Kong Laboratory, 88
Chung Hau Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The item in question
is an Agilent 7500cx ICP-MS. This item is classified under export
control classification number (ECCN) 3A233 and is controlled for
nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons.


3. The Hong Kong Laboratory, Trace Elements Section, was
established in 2003 to centralize all human and physical resources
for the determinations of trace elements within the Hong Kong
Government Laboratory. The Trace Elements Section mainly provides
analytical support to the Environmental Chemistry Sections and the
Food Safety Sections of the Hong Kong Government Laboratory for
elemental analysis. More information can be found at
www.govtlab.gov.hk.


4. On January 21, 2009, ECO visited the Trace Elements Section and
met with Dr. Wai-hong Fung, Chemist, Analytical and Advisory
Services Division in the Division's laboratory. He confirmed that
the Trace Elements Section ordered the item in question from
Agilent's Hong Kong distributor, Tegent Technology as part of a
tender process. The new item is being purchased to replace a Perkin
Elmer Elan 6100 which is quite old and no longer operating at an
optimal level. Mr. Fung stated that the existing Elan 6100 will be
traded in as part of the purchase process to Tegent. He also noted
that Hong Kong Customs will confirm proper disposition of the
existing Perkin Elmer unit since it was imported into Hong Kong
under a Hong Kong Strategic Commodities license. Mr. Fung was open
and cooperative and provided purchase order and other documentation
confirming the purchase.


5. ECO notes that Hong Kong government entities typically purchase
equipment through a centralized tender process from Hong Kong
resellers. This process is an open and transparent process and ECO
views it as highly unlikely that items procured by the Hong Kong
Government or affiliated entities will be diverted to unauthorized
end-uses or end-users.


6. Based on the information noted above, ECO believes that the
Trace Elements Section is a suitable recipient of U.S. origin
controlled technology.