DEA delays effective date of final rule revising Import/Export Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published a final rule on January 30, 2017 (81 FR 8688-8689)  which delays the effective date of their December 30, 2016 final rule (81 FR 96992-97044) that amended export/import requirements for Tableting and Encapsulating machines, Controlled Substances, and Listed Chemicals as well as domestic transactions for Listed Chemicals and Tableting and Encapsulating Machines.  

The federal register notice states the temporary delay allows "Department of Justice officials an opportunity to review any potential questions of fact, law and policy raised by this regulation, consistent with the Chief of Staff's memorandum of January 20, 2017."  Click here for the January 20, 2017 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies from Reince Priebus, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff. 

This final rule is effective January 30, 2017 and temporarily delays the December final rule until March 21, 2017.  In addition, the required compliance date has now been moved from June 28, 2017 until July 31, 2017.

For more information on the specific changes finalized in the December rule, click here to read the earlier post by GCSG related to the proposed rule (81 FR 63575-63631).