Export Control

The National Academies report, Beyond Fortress America, concluded that,

“The export controls and visa regulations that were crafted to meet conditions the United States faced over five decades ago now quietly undermine our national security and our national economic wellbeing,” noting that a system designed for the Cold War when the U.S. was the dominant economic power is ill suited to today’s security challenges and global economy.

U.S. policy should, to the greatest extent possible, promote international trade while maintaining export controls on only those items and technology that are of critical military, intelligence, and national security importance.

The following principles should guide export control policy:

• Concentrate on those items with strategic significance to U.S. security interests
• Do not attempt to restrict those items that by volume or distribution are not susceptible to control
• For all but the most dangerous munitions, do not impose export controls in the face of foreign availability or capability
• Establish control lists that set forth precise, objective, and positive criteria with respect to items subject to control
• Simplify the licensing process (e.g., license applications, commodity justifications, classification request, advisory opinions, etc.) to maintain efficiency, transparency, and predictability
• Seek to apply export controls on a multilateral and uniform basis