Revisions to License Exception CTP

The Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by revising License Exception CTP to reflect continuing technological advancement in the computer industry. High Performance Computers (HPCs) with a composite theoretical performance (CTP) of up to 45,000 millions of theoretical operations per second (MTOPS) can be exported to Computer Tier 2 countries under License Exception CTP, and HPCs with a CTP up to 28,000 MTOPS can be exported Computer Tier 3 destinations under License Exception CTP. The civil-military distinction for computer Tier 3 end- users and end-uses is removed. Effective February 26, 2001, this rule also raises the advance notification level for HPC exports to Computer Tier 3 countries to 28,000 MTOPS. As required by the National Defense Authorization Act of 1998 (NDAA), changes in the advance notification level for HPC exports to Tier 3 destinations are only effective 180 days following the submission by the President of a report to Congress. The President sent the report to Congress on August 30, 2000. This rule moves Argentina from Computer Tier 2 to Computer Tier 1. This rule also moves Estonia from Computer Tier 3 to Computer Tier 2, effective December 28, 2000.