The U.S. Export Control System and the President’s Reform Initiative

"The 112th Congress may consider reforms of the U.S. export control system. The balance between
national security and export competitiveness has made the subject of export controls controversial
for decades. Through the Export Administration Act (EAA), the Arms Export Control Act
(AECA), the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and other authorities, the
United States restricts the export of defense items or munitions; so-called “dual-use” goods and
technology—items with both civilian and military applications; certain nuclear materials and
technology; and items that would assist in the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological
weapons or the missile technology used to deliver them. U.S. export controls are also used to
restrict exports to certain countries on which the United States imposes economic sanctions..."