On October 17, BIS issued a press release announcing that exporters may request a six-month extension for any licenses due to expire on or before December 31, 2020.
The press release states, “BIS will streamline the extension of the validity process by creating a central electronic mailbox for submission of requests: LicenseExtensionRequest@bis.doc.gov.” The original license will be reviewed and, in most cases, the validity period extended via the electronic system. Depending on the number of requests received, BIS estimates the majority of extension requests will be processed and approved within two to three business days.
Acting Under Secretary for Industry and Security, Cordell Hull said, “The streamlined process will help ensure that exporters with licenses due to expire on or before the end of 2020, who may not have been able to ship orders due to resource constraints during the pandemic, have the opportunity to benefit fully from the authorizations granted on their licenses.”