§4813 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce, working with the Secretaries of State, Defense, Energy, and other agencies, must set up and run export controls to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy. The Secretary must keep lists of controlled items and of foreign people or uses that are threats. The Secretary must stop unauthorized exports, reexports, and transfers inside a country, limit transfers to listed people or uses, and require licenses or other permission when needed. Licenses can include conditions and can be suspended or revoked. The Secretary must check whether foreign-made items match U.S. controlled items, require steps to make people follow the rules, collect needed information, identify controlled items, inspect or seize shipments, monitor transfers, tell the public about policy changes, use technical advisory committees, make limited exceptions when helpful, and tell people when a Bureau of Industry and Security (Commerce) license is required. The Secretary can take any other lawful actions needed to enforce these controls. These powers cannot be used to control items exempted by section 203(b) of IEEPA unless the President finds it necessary. A license is required to send controlled items to a country that the Secretary of State has found repeatedly supports international terrorism if the items would boost that country’s military or ability to support terrorism. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce must tell key congressional committees at least 30 days before issuing such a license and provide detailed descriptions and analyses. Terrorism-designation notices must be published (with confidential parts hidden). A designation can only be ended if the President sends a report showing a fundamental change and assurances, or a report at least 45 days before rescission saying the country gave no support in the prior 6 months and will not support terrorism. The President must also require U.S. persons everywhere to get Commerce licenses for exports, transfers, or work that supports especially dangerous items (nuclear explosive devices; missiles; chemical or biological weapons; whole chemical-weapons precursor plants; and foreign maritime nuclear projects that threaten U.S. security). The Secretary may notify people about these license rules, but lack of notice does not excuse breaking them. Licenses must be denied if the activity would materially help create or improve those dangerous items.

Title 50, §4813

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In carrying out this subchapter on behalf of the President, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall—

(1)establish and maintain a list of items that are controlled under this subchapter;

(2)establish and maintain a list of foreign persons and end-uses that are determined to be a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States pursuant to the policy set forth in section 4811(2)(A) of this title;

(3)prohibit unauthorized exports, reexports, and in-country transfers of controlled items, including to foreign persons in the United States or outside the United States;

(4)restrict exports, reexports, and in-country transfers of any controlled items to any foreign person or end-use listed under paragraph (2);

(5)require licenses or other authorizations, as appropriate, for exports, reexports, and in-country transfers of controlled items, including—

(A)imposing conditions or restrictions on United States persons and foreign persons with respect to such licenses or other authorizations; and

(B)suspending or revoking such licenses or authorizations;

(6)establish a process for an assessment to determine whether a foreign item is comparable in quality to an item controlled under this subchapter, and is available in sufficient quantities to render the United States export control of that item or the denial of a license ineffective, including a mechanism to address that disparity;

(7)require measures for compliance with the export controls established under this subchapter;

(8)require and obtain such information from United States persons and foreign persons as is necessary to carry out this subchapter;

(9)require, to the extent feasible, identification of items subject to controls under this subchapter in order to facilitate the enforcement of such controls;

(10)inspect, search, detain, or seize, or impose temporary denial orders with respect to items, in any form, that are subject to controls under this subchapter, or conveyances on which it is believed that there are items that have been, are being, or are about to be exported, reexported, or in-country transferred in violation of this subchapter;

(11)monitor shipments and other means of transfer;

(12)keep the public appropriately apprised of changes in policy, regulations, and procedures established under this subchapter;

(13)appoint technical advisory committees in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act;

(14)create, as warranted, exceptions to licensing requirements in order to further the objectives of this subchapter;

(15)establish and maintain processes to inform persons, either individually by specific notice or through amendment to any regulation or order issued under this subchapter, that a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce is required to export; and

(16)undertake any other action as is necessary to carry out this subchapter that is not otherwise prohibited by law.

(b)The authority under this subchapter may not be used to regulate or prohibit under this subchapter the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of any item that may not be regulated or prohibited under section 203(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)), except to the extent the President has made a determination necessary to impose controls under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (2) of such section.

(c)(1)(A)A license shall be required for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of items, the control of which is implemented pursuant to subsection (a) by the Secretary, to a country if the Secretary of State has made the following determinations:

(i)The government of such country has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

(ii)The export, reexport, or in-country transfer of such items could make a significant contribution to the military potential of such country, including its military logistics capability, or could enhance the ability of such country to support acts of international terrorism.

(B)A determination of the Secretary of State under section 2371 of title 22, section 2780 of title 22, or any other provision of law that the government of a country described in subparagraph (A) has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism shall be deemed to be a determination with respect to such government for purposes of clause (i) of subparagraph (A).

(2)(A)The Secretary of State and the Secretary shall notify the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate at least 30 days before any license is issued as required by paragraph (1).

(B)The Secretary of State shall include in the notification required under subparagraph (A)—

(i)a detailed description of the items to be offered, including a brief description of the capabilities of any item for which a license to export, reexport, or in-country transfer the items is sought;

(ii)the reasons why the foreign country, person, or entity to which the export, reexport, or in-country transfer is proposed to be made has requested the items under the export, reexport, or in-country transfer, and a description of the manner in which such country, person, or entity intends to use such items;

(iii)the reasons why the proposed export, reexport, or in-country transfer is in the national interest of the United States;

(iv)an analysis of the impact of the proposed export, reexport, or in-country transfer on the military capabilities of the foreign country, person, or entity to which such transfer would be made;

(v)an analysis of the manner in which the proposed export, reexport, or in-country transfer would affect the relative military strengths of countries in the region to which the items that are the subject of such export, reexport, or in-country transfer would be delivered and whether other countries in the region have comparable kinds and amounts of items; and

(vi)an analysis of the impact of the proposed export, reexport, or in-country transfer on the relations of the United States with the countries in the region to which the items that are the subject of such export, reexport, or in-country transfer would be delivered.

(3)Each determination of the Secretary of State under paragraph (1)(A)(i) shall be published in the Federal Register, except that the Secretary of State may exclude confidential information and trade secrets contained in such determination.

(4)A determination of the Secretary of State under paragraph (1)(A)(i) may not be rescinded unless the President submits to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate—

(A)before the proposed rescission would take effect, a report certifying that—

(i)there has been a fundamental change in the leadership and policies of the government of the country concerned;

(ii)that government is not supporting acts of international terrorism; and

(iii)that government has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future; or

(B)at least 45 days before the proposed rescission would take effect, a report justifying the rescission and certifying that—

(i)the government concerned has not provided any support for acts international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period; and

(ii)the government concerned has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.

(d)(1)In furtherance of section 4812(a) of this title, the President shall, except to the extent authorized by a statute or regulation administered by a Federal department or agency other than the Department of Commerce, require a United States person, wherever located, to apply for and receive a license from the Department of Commerce for—

(A)the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of items described in paragraph (2), including items that are not subject to control under this subchapter; and

(B)other activities that may support the design, development, production, use, operation, installation, maintenance, repair, overhaul, or refurbishing of, or for the performance of services relating to, any such items.

(2)The items described in this paragraph include—

(A)nuclear explosive devices;

(B)missiles;

(C)chemical or biological weapons;

(D)whole plants for chemical weapons precursors; and

(E)foreign maritime nuclear projects that would pose a risk to the national security or foreign policy of the United States.

(e)The Secretary may inform United States persons, either individually by specific notice or through amendment to any regulation or order issued under this subchapter, that a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce is required to engage in any activity if the activity involves the types of movement, service, or support described in subsection (d). The absence of any such notification does not excuse the United States person from compliance with the license requirements of subsection (d), or any regulation or order issued under this subchapter.

(f)The Secretary shall deny an application to engage in any activity described in subsection (d) if the activity would make a material contribution to any of the items described in subsection (d)(2).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b), (d)(1)(A), and (e), was in the original “this part”, meaning part I (§§ 1751–1768) of subtitle B of title XVII of div. A of Pub. L. 115–232, known as the Export Controls Act of 2018, which is classified principally to this subchapter. For complete classification of part I to the Code, see section 1751 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a

Short Title

note under section 4801 of this title and Tables. The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(13), is Pub. L. 92–463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and was substantially repealed and restated in chapter 10 (§ 1001 et seq.) of Title 5 by Pub. L. 117–286, §§ 3(a), 7, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4197, 4361. For disposition of sections of the Act into chapter 10 of Title 5, see Disposition Table preceding section 101 of Title 5. IEEPA, referred to in subsec. (b), is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, title II of Pub. L. 95–223, Dec. 28, 1977, 91 Stat. 1626, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of this title and Tables.

§4813 Additional authorities

Summary

Title 50, §4813

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Short Title

Citations & Metadata