Export controls play a vital role in protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. Such measures also serve the country's security needs by helping to sustain a dynamic, innovative and globally competitive manufacturing sector that can actively engage in international trade and leverage the technological resources and capabilities of U.S. firms and their foreign partners.
Globalization has fundamentally changed how many industries manage production and develop new technologies for commercial and military uses. The U.S. export control system has not kept pace with these changes and consequently impedes the nation's ability to advance its security and competitiveness goals. Export licensing has adversely affected interoperability and the exchange of technology with close allies and other defense partners.
The NAM, therefore, is committed to a sustained effort to modernize the export control system so that U.S. manufacturers can maintain the nation's global leadership in innovative technologies, share critical technologies with our allies and compete on a level playing field in the international marketplace. A modernized export control system must be predictable, transparent and efficient. Key NAM goals are to:
• Rationalize the export licensing system to reduce costs and processing times, ensure clear lines of agency jurisdiction and increase cooperation and efficiencies among the agencies involved in the process.
• Institute systematic and regular reviews to update the export control lists and clarify definitions and interpretations so that those items and technologies posing the greatest risk to national security and foreign policy are controlled and limited resources are focused on safeguarding these sensitive items.
• Institute new licensing protocols to facilitate the transfer of controlled technologies and items between U.S. companies and their foreign partners and within companies' U.S. facilities, so long as the companies maintain appropriate standards of internal controls and compliance.
• Revise the framework for program licensing by eliminating redundancies to facilitate technology-sharing with the nation's closest friends and allies, as these transfers are critical for the U.S. government's own national security programs.
• Improve industry-government cooperation by setting reasonable enforcement standards and practices for punishing bad actors while improving educational programs, outreach and incentives to help companies that make good faith compliance efforts.
• Establish and apply a more meaningful standard for determining "foreign availability" to minimize U.S. controls on items readily available from other sources in the global marketplace.
• Develop a more effective system of multilateral controls, minimize unilateral controls and seek greater harmonization of export controls among major trading partners with a view to both protecting national security interests and leveling the international playing field for U.S. exporters.
• Create more efficient and user friendly automated processes for determining what items and technologies are on control lists, applying for licenses, facilitating any necessary interagency reviews, and securing export authorizations.
The NAM believes defense trade and technological cooperation with friends and allies strengthens America's competitive edge, sustains the defense industrial base and enhances our national security. Enabling high-technology R&D in the U.S. is essential for developing the cutting-edge technology and defense products needed to protect national security and economic competitiveness.
The term "export controls" includes the laws and regulations controlling exports, re-exports and deemed exports.
Adopted Winter 2012 Effective until Winter 2016