BIS reviews foreign policy-based export controls

BIS reviews foreign policy-based export controls    The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security is reviewing its foreign policy-based export controls to determine if they should be changed, discarded, or continued.
   These controls, set forth in the Export Administration Regulations, cover a range of countries, items and activities, such as shipments of high-performance computers, plane engines and parts, and firearms.
   Criteria considered in the review process are:
   * Whether these controls meet their objective.
   * Whether the foreign policy purpose of these controls could be met by alternative ways.
   * Compatibility of the controls with the foreign policy objective of the United States.
   * Whether the reaction of other countries to the extension is likely to cause negative backlash to U.S. foreign policy.
   * Comparative benefits to U.S. foreign policy objectives vs. the effect of the controls on U.S. export performance.
   * Ability of the United States to effectively enforce the controls.
   The agency said it’s especially interested in the experience of individual exporters in complying with the controls, with “emphasis on economic impact and specific instances of business lost to foreign competitors.”
   Comments are due to BIS by Nov. 21. For more information, contact Joan Roberts of the BIS Foreign Policy Controls Division at (202) 482-4252.