In the proposed new system, goods facing export controls would reside on a single government list. A three-tier system will distinguish the most sensitive items and technologies from less important ones. A single licensing policy to be applied across all agencies, a single computer system will be used, and a center will help coordinate enforcement.
The result, the White House says, will be fewer items facing export controls. In the category of munitions, with 12,000 items now subject to licensing, the administration’s preliminary estimate is that about 32 percent of the items may be decontrolled altogether, and it’s possible that none will end up in the highest tier of control.
Technology experts say the Obama plan is rooted in the notion that military security is to some degree synonymous with economic strength, especially in an era of rapid technological change.
“It recognizes that a critical component of our national security is our economic competitiveness,” says Stephen Ezell, a senior analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington.
