Export Controls and Nonproliferation Policy

Abstract

The United States, in cooperation with other nations, controls the export of goods, technology, and software that have civilian applications but could also be used to make weapons of mass destruction or missiles to deliver them. Requiring licenses for the export of such dual-use items will continue to be one useful tool in U.S. nonproliferation policy. Although unlikely to stop a determined proliferant in the long run, export controls increase the cost and the difficulty of producing these weapons, and they may buy important time during which policymakers may bring other nonproliferation tools to bear. According to the OTA report Export Controls and Nonproliferation Policy, the difficult task for both Congress and the executive branch is to design an export control system that serves U.S. security interests but also takes due account of economic interests and fairness to regulated exporters. The task is made more difficult by the problems inherent in trying to estimate both the benefits and the costs of export controls.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA339263

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Foreign Relations
  • Government Procurement
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • International Trade
  • Jet Transport Aircraft
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Treaties
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
  • International Relations and European Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design