Federal Reports

This is our final report on the audit of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS’s) and the International Trade Administration’s (ITA’s) processes and procedures for reviewing and adjudicating product exclusion requests for aluminum and steel tariffs, as prescribed by Presidential Proclamations 9704 and 9705, respectively, under the authority of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. Our audit objectives were to determine whether (1) BIS and ITA adhere to the processes and procedures in place to review Section 232 product exclusion requests and (2) exclusion request decisions are reached in a consistent and transparent manner. We found that (I) U.S. companies were denied exclusion requests based on incomplete and contradictory information and (II) the Section 232 exclusion request review process lacked transparency. We also noted separate matters for BIS and ITA attention with respect to timeliness, completion, and communications regarding exclusion requests within an “Other Matters” section of this report.

The Office of the Inspector General conducted a review of the Commercial Energy Solutions Energy Services and Programs (ES&P) organization to identify factors that could impact ES&Ps organizational effectiveness. During the course of our evaluation, we identified behaviors that had a positive impact on ES&P. These included relationships with team members and most management. However, we also identified a behavioral risk related to relationships with management in one group. In addition, we identified risks to operations that could hinder ES&P’s effectiveness. These risks were related to interactions with business partners, frequency of program changes, and resource concerns in two groups.

Two Amtrak coach cleaners based in Sanford, Florida, resigned from the company on January 21, 2021, prior to their administrative hearings. Our investigation found the former employees violated company policy by engaging in outside employment and other activities, such as traveling on a personal vacation, which interfered with their job duties and responsibilities, and they improperly used Family Medical Leave Act leave or sick leave to do so.