Export Laws Under Review

IndustryWeek (10/21, Katz) – Commerce Secretary Gary Locke proposed reforms that he says will make the United States more competitive globally. "Our current system was designed in the 1950s, and its Cold War-era framework is ill-suited to manage the highly complex 21st century threats currently faced by the United States," Locke said on Oct. 1. "We need to fundamentally revise our export controls system to account for the emergence of new foreign markets, competitors and multifaceted threats that have arisen over the past few decades."

Locke has proposed that the United States eliminate dual-use export license requirements for allies and partner nations and implement a fast-track procedure for reviewing dual-use export licenses for other key allies. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) praised the move, saying such actions would allow U.S. companies to compete for lucrative foreign markets while shifting focus to technologies that are considered greater national security threats.