U.S.: MULTILATERAL PACTS KEY TO CONTROLLING SENSITIVE EXPORTS
The U.S. Export Administration wants to put more emphasis on controlling
dangerous exports through multilateral agreements with other countries,
instead of relying solely on export controls.
"We must change the way we view national security and put aside the
myths," said William A. Reinsch, undersecretary of Commerce’s Export
Administration at a conference in Washington, D.C. "We need the courage to
take on those who want to take us back to the Cold War."
Commerce and other export licensing agencies are under pressure from
Congress to tighten control over certain exports, such as high-performance
computers, to hostile countries and terrorists.
Reinsch said it would be a mistake for the U.S. to think that domestic
export controls alone will keep technology out of other countries. Export
controls mostly just harm U.S. companies, he said.