Bureau of Industry and Security Announces Updates To Commerce Control List

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) today announced a series of updates to the Commerce Control List (CCL) as part of a systematic effort to update and refine the U.S. dual-use export control system. The CCL helps determine what U.S. goods and services require a Commerce Department export license to be shipped overseas.

The CCL changes were published in a Federal Register Notice, and are the first round of improvements which resulted from a systematic review conducted by BIS, with significant input from its technical advisory committees and the public. BIS continues to work with its interagency partners on additional CCL enhancements which were identified during the course of that review.

"U.S. economic and technology leadership are critical to ensuring U.S. national security," said Under Secretary of Commerce Mario Mancuso. "These updates to the regulations – and our commitment to revisit the CCL on a regular basis – will ensure that our controls help enhance short-term and long-term national security and economic competitiveness," he said.

BIS also announced the publication of additional information describing its process to methodically review the CCL to ensure the export control regime meets today's challenges. BIS plans to review one third of the CCL each year to create a three review cycle. Emphasis will be placed on:

• Overall structure of the CCL,
• Types of items that should be listed on the CCL,
• Particular industry sectors,
• Updates on item descriptions, and,
• Coordination and harmonization with regard to the multilateral regimes.

BIS controls exports and re-exports of dual-use commodities, technology and software for reasons that include national security, missile technology, nuclear non-proliferation, chemical and biological non-proliferation, crime control and regional stability. Criminal civil and administrative sanctions can be imposed for violations of the Export Administration Regulations. For more information, please visit www.bis.doc.gov.

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