NSS Backs Potential Munitions List Alterations to ITAR Laws
By Jeffrey Hill | May 15, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 05-15-12] The National Space Society (NSS) has called on U.S. Congress to ease export control regulations on spacecraft and related items, as urged by the U.S. Departments of Defense and State in a recent joint report, the NSS announced May 14.
The report, titled “Risk Assessment of the United States Space Export Control Policy,” concluded that spacecraft and components designated as dual-use items can safely be removed from the U.S. Munitions List, which is controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by the U.S. Department of State.
The report recommends that these items be moved to the Commerce Control List (CCL), which is managed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“For many years, the U.S. space industrial base has been at a competitive disadvantage with other countries due to outdated and overly burdensome licensing processes under ITAR,” NSS Executive Director Paul Damphousse said in a statement. “The U.S space export control system has created delays, driven up costs and severely hampered the ability of the American space industry to compete in an increasingly global market, and this situation must not be allowed to continue.”