On March 15, 2011, the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls published a proposed new rule that marks a significant change in the approach to ITAR regulation. Historically, ITAR controls have always applied to commercial end products incorporating any ITAR controlled components. This was the basis of the highly publicized QRS chip case, in which the State Department asserted continuing ITAR control over avionics chips that had originated on a military program but had come to be widely used in civilian jet aircraft. That case resulted eventually in a special exception to allow jet aircraft to remain in production and passenger service with the QRS chip and without ITAR licensing.
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ITAR License Exemption Amended To Allow Hand-Carrying Of Technical Data Outside The United States
By Sheppard Mullin on
Posted in Export Controls, ITAR
On August 27, 2010, the Department of State amended section 125.4(b)(9) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) to clarify an exemption to the license requirement related to the hand-carrying of technical data outside the United States.
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Administration to Expedite Encryption Reviews and Amend ITAR Citizenship Definition
By Sheppard Mullin on
Posted in Export Controls, ITAR
In comments released on March 12, 2010, the Administration announced that it will be shifting the current encryption review request process under 15 C.F.R. section 740.17 to an on-line system, with the objective of reducing review times from 30-60 days to 30 minutes. While industry will welcome the shortening of the review waiting period, the current regulations already allow many encryption exports to our largest trading partners, those listed in Part 740, Supplement 3, as well as exports to other countries of items described in section 740.17(b)(1)(ii), to occur during the waiting period. There is no indication that the change would add countries like China or India to Supplement 3. As described, it also would not alter the technical definition of encryption products requiring review or result in any expansion of the existing exception for "ancillary cryptography." Without more fundamental changes along these lines, the ultimate impact of the review request change will probably be minimal.
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