From Laser Focus World:
It’s complicated, has been supported by many in photonics (notably SPIE and OSA), has major implications for U.S. makers of products such as high-power fiber lasers and focal plane arrays, and becomes law on December 31, 2016. Here are some thoughts and resources for piecing together how the rules have change in Category XII (Fire Control, Laser, Imaging, and Guidance Equipment) of the U.S. Munitions List (USML) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Kevin Wolf, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, has been overseeing the reform process and spoke to a large audience at the OSA Laser Congress in Boston last week. He said the new regulations were the result of 2 years of public comment, resolve 20 years of policy dispute, and are now in the refinement stage.
He added, “The process for reviewing [international sales of] commercial items is now far easier and it opens potentially new markets for U.S. products.” He also said the new regulations eliminate significant uncertainty that standard commercial photonics products could be “sucked into ITAR.” Many less-sensitive military items and commercial spacecraft items may now be regulated under Export Administration Regulations for control of commercial products.
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