New Bill Would Ease Export Controls on Commercial Satellites, Components
On November 1, 2011, Representative Berman (D-CA)1 introduced bipartisan legislation to lift excessive export controls from the U.S. manufacturers of commercial satellites and components.
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According to a press release from Representative Manzullo, a co-sponsor, the Safeguarding United States Satellite Leadership and Security Act of 2011 (H.R. 3288) would restore the President’s ability to determine what export restrictions should apply to commercial satellites and related components. It would also prohibit any such exports to China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, or Cuba.
(Manzullo notes that when Congress mandated in 1999 that all U.S. satellites and components be licensed as weapons under the United States Munitions List (USML) by the Department of State, this severely hampered exports of U.S.-made commercial satellites even to closest U.S. allies.)
1Representatives Bishop (R-UT), Chaffetz (R-UT), Coffman (R-CO), Connolly (D-VA), Heinrich (D-NM), Manzullo (R-IL), Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Smith (D-WA).
Manzullo press release available here