§4612 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

The law punishes U.S. people and foreign people who knowingly export, try to export, conspire to export, or help others export missile-related items listed in the MTCR Annex in ways that break U.S. controls or help non‑MTCR countries build missiles. For a U.S. person, the President must deny export licenses for 2 years if the item is in MTCR category II, and must deny all export licenses for at least 2 years if the item is in category I. The Secretary can also seek other penalties under section 4610. The President can waive these sanctions if the product or service is essential to U.S. national security and the supplier is the only reliable source and no timely alternative exists. For foreign people, the same 2‑year license denials apply, and if the transfer greatly helped a non‑MTCR country’s missile program the President must also bar imports of products made by that person for at least 2 years. Exceptions include transfers authorized by an MTCR country’s laws or transfers to end users in MTCR countries. The Secretary (with State and Defense) can give advisory opinions saying a proposed activity is safe; relying on a favorable opinion protects the person. The President may also waive sanctions for national security reasons but must notify Congress at least 20 working days before using that waiver and explain why. Import bans have narrow exceptions for existing defense contracts, some sole‑source defense needs, spare parts and maintenance, and essential information or components. Key defined terms (one line each): “missile” — a Category I system in the MTCR Annex or similar unmanned delivery systems and their special factories; “MTCR” — the policy first announced April 16, 1987 to limit sensitive missile transfers; “MTCR adherent” — a country that follows MTCR rules; “MTCR Annex” — the MTCR Guidelines and Equipment and Technology Annex; “missile/MTCR equipment or technology” — items listed in MTCR category I or II; “foreign person” — anyone who is not a U.S. person; “person” — an individual or any type of organization or entity; “otherwise engaged in the trade of” — roles like freight forwarder, exporting agent, consignee, or end user.

Title 50, §4612

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)(A)If the President determines that a United States person knowingly—

(i)exports, transfers, or otherwise engages in the trade of any item on the MTCR Annex, in violation of the provisions of section 38 (22 U.S.C. 2778) or chapter 7 of the Arms Export Control Act [22 U.S.C. 2797 et seq.], section 4604 or 4605 11 See References in Text note below. of this title, or any regulations or orders issued under any such provisions,

(ii)conspires to or attempts to engage in such export, transfer, or trade, or

(iii)facilitates such export, transfer, or trade by any other person,

(B)The sanctions which apply to a United States person under subparagraph (A) are the following:

(i)If the item on the MTCR Annex involved in the export, transfer, or trade is missile equipment or technology within category II of the MTCR Annex, then the President shall deny to such United States person, for a period of 2 years, licenses for the transfer of missile equipment or technology controlled under this chapter.

(ii)If the item on the MTCR Annex involved in the export, transfer, or trade is missile equipment or technology within category I of the MTCR Annex, then the President shall deny to such United States person, for a period of not less than 2 years, all licenses for items the export of which is controlled under this chapter.

(2)In the case of any determination referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary may pursue any other appropriate penalties under section 4610 1 of this title.

(3)The President may waive the imposition of sanctions under paragraph (1) on a person with respect to a product or service if the President certifies to the Congress that—

(A)the product or service is essential to the national security of the United States; and

(B)such person is a sole source supplier of the product or service, the product or service is not available from any alternative reliable supplier, and the need for the product or service cannot be met in a timely manner by improved manufacturing processes or technological developments.

(b)(1)(A)Subject to paragraphs (3) through (7), if the President determines that a foreign person, after November 5, 1990, knowingly—

(i)exports, transfers, or otherwise engages in the trade of any MTCR equipment or technology that contributes to the design, development, or production of missiles in a country that is not an MTCR adherent and would be, if it were United States-origin equipment or technology, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States under this chapter,

(ii)conspires to or attempts to engage in such export, transfer, or trade, or

(iii)facilitates such export, transfer, or trade by any other person,

(B)The sanctions which apply to a foreign person under subparagraph (A) are the following:

(i)If the item involved in the export, transfer, or trade is within category II of the MTCR Annex, then the President shall deny, for a period of 2 years, licenses for the transfer to such foreign person of missile equipment or technology the export of which is controlled under this chapter.

(ii)If the item involved in the export, transfer, or trade is within category I of the MTCR Annex, then the President shall deny, for a period of not less than 2 years, licenses for the transfer to such foreign person of items the export of which is controlled under this chapter.

(iii)If, in addition to actions taken under clauses (i) and (ii), the President determines that the export, transfer, or trade has substantially contributed to the design, development, or production of missiles in a country that is not an MTCR adherent, then the President shall prohibit, for a period of not less than 2 years, the importation into the United States of products produced by that foreign person.

(2)Paragraph (1) does not apply with respect to—

(A)any export, transfer, or trading activity that is authorized by the laws of an MTCR adherent, if such authorization is not obtained by misrepresentation or fraud; or

(B)any export, transfer, or trade of an item to an end user in a country that is an MTCR adherent.

(3)Sanctions set forth in paragraph (1) may not be imposed under this subsection on a person with respect to acts described in such paragraph or, if such sanctions are in effect against a person on account of such acts, such sanctions shall be terminated, if an MTCR adherent is taking judicial or other enforcement action against that person with respect to such acts, or that person has been found by the government of an MTCR adherent to be innocent of wrongdoing with respect to such acts.

(4)The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, may, upon the request of any person, issue an advisory opinion to that person as to whether a proposed activity by that person would subject that person to sanctions under this subsection. Any person who relies in good faith on such an advisory opinion which states that the proposed activity would not subject a person to such sanctions, and any person who thereafter engages in such activity, may not be made subject to such sanctions on account of such activity.

(5)(A)In any case other than one in which an advisory opinion has been issued under paragraph (4) stating that a proposed activity would not subject a person to sanctions under this subsection, the President may waive the application of paragraph (1) to a foreign person if the President determines that such waiver is essential to the national security of the United States.

(B)In the event that the President decides to apply the waiver described in subparagraph (A), the President shall so notify the Congress not less than 20 working days before issuing the waiver. Such notification shall include a report fully articulating the rationale and circumstances which led the President to apply the waiver.

(6)The President may waive the imposition of sanctions under paragraph (1) on a person with respect to a product or service if the President certifies to the Congress that—

(A)the product or service is essential to the national security of the United States; and

(7)The President shall not apply the sanction under this subsection prohibiting the importation of the products of a foreign person—

(A)in the case of procurement of defense articles or defense services—

(i)under existing contracts or subcontracts, including the exercise of options for production quantities to satisfy requirements essential to the national security of the United States;

(ii)if the President determines that the person to which the sanctions would be applied is a sole source supplier of the defense articles and services, that the defense articles or services are essential to the national security of the United States, and that alternative sources are not readily or reasonably available; or

(iii)if the President determines that such articles or services are essential to the national security of the United States under defense coproduction agreements or NATO Programs of Cooperation;

(B)to products or services provided under contracts entered into before the date on which the President publishes his intention to impose the sanctions; or

(C)to—

(i)spare parts,

(ii)component parts, but not finished products, essential to United States products or production,

(iii)routine services and maintenance of products, to the extent that alternative sources are not readily or reasonably available, or

(iv)information and technology essential to United States products or production.

(c)For purposes of this section and subsections (k) and (l) of section 4605 1 of this title—

(1)the term “missile” means a category I system as defined in the MTCR Annex, and any other unmanned delivery system of similar capability, as well as the specially designed production facilities for these systems;

(2)the term “Missile Technology Control Regime” or “MTCR” means the policy statement, between the United States, the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan, announced on April 16, 1987, to restrict sensitive missile-relevant transfers based on the MTCR Annex, and any amendments thereto;

(3)the term “MTCR adherent” means a country that participates in the MTCR or that, pursuant to an international understanding to which the United States is a party, controls MTCR equipment or technology in accordance with the criteria and standards set forth in the MTCR;

(4)the term “MTCR Annex” means the Guidelines and Equipment and Technology Annex of the MTCR, and any amendments thereto;

(5)the terms “missile equipment or technology” and “MTCR equipment or technology” mean those items listed in category I or category II of the MTCR Annex;

(6)the term “foreign person” means any person other than a United States person;

(7)(A)the term “person” means a natural person as well as a corporation, business association, partnership, society, trust, any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group, and any governmental entity operating as a business enterprise, and any successor of any such entity; and

(B)in the case of countries where it may be impossible to identify a specific governmental entity referred to in subparagraph (A), the term “person” means—

(i)all activities of that government relating to the development or production of any missile equipment or technology; and

(ii)all activities of that government affecting the development or production of aircraft, electronics, and space systems or equipment; and

(8)the term “otherwise engaged in the trade of” means, with respect to a particular export or transfer, to be a freight forwarder or designated exporting agent, or a consignee or end user of the item to be exported or transferred.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Arms Export Control Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(A)(i), is Pub. L. 90–269, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1320. Chapter 7 of the Act is classified generally to subchapter VII (§ 2797 et seq.) of chapter 39 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2751 of Title 22 and Tables. section 4605, 4606, and 4610 of this title, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(A)(i), (2) and (c), were repealed by Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XVII, § 1766(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2232. This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(B) and (b)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–72, Sept. 29, 1979, 93 Stat. 503, known as the Export Administration Act of 1979, which was classified principally to this chapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XVII, § 1766(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2232, except for section 11A, 11B, and 11C thereof (50 U.S.C. 4611, 4612, 4613). Codification Section was formerly classified to section 2410b of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Policy on Missile Technology Control Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XVII, § 1701, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1738, provided that: “It should be the policy of the United States to take all appropriate measures— “(1) to discourage the proliferation, development, and production of the weapons, material, and technology necessary to produce or acquire missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction; “(2) to discourage countries and private persons in other countries from aiding and abetting any states from acquiring such weapons, material, and technology; “(3) to strengthen United States and existing multilateral export controls to prohibit the flow of materials, equipment, and technology that would assist countries in acquiring the ability to produce or acquire missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction, including missiles, warheads and weaponization technology, targeting technology, test and evaluation technology, and range and weapons effect measurement technology; and “(4) with respect to the Missile Technology Control Regime (‘MTCR’) and its participating governments—“(A) to improve

Enforcement

and seek a common and stricter interpretation among MTCR members of MTCR principles; “(B) to increase the number of countries that adhere to the MTCR; and “(C) to increase information sharing among United States agencies and among governments on missile technology transfer, including export licensing, and

Enforcement

activities.”

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Functions of President under this section delegated to Secretary of Commerce, with certain exceptions, by section 2(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12851, June 11, 1993, 58 F.R. 33181, set out as a note under section 2797 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

§4612 Missile Proliferation Control Violations

Summary

Title 50, §4612

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Enforcement

Enforcement

Executive Documents

Citations & Metadata