Revisions and Clarifications to the Export Administration Regulations-Nuclear Nonproliferation Controls: Nuclear Suppliers Group

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by revising certain entries on its control list that are controlled for nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons. This final rule revises these entries to make them conform more closely to the format used in the technical descriptions of items identified in the Annex to the "Guidelines for Transfers of Nuclear- Related Dual-Use Equipment, Material, and Related Technology" (the Annex), which is published by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which includes the United States, have established export licensing procedures for the transfer of items identified in the Annex. This final rule also revises the types of controls and the scope of the controls that apply to a number of entries on the Commerce Control List (CCL). In addition, this rule amends the "Related Controls" paragraphs in a number of entries by adding references to related items that are either controlled under other entries on the CCL or controlled by other U.S. Government agencies. As a result of the admission of Belarus, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Turkey to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, this rule adds these four countries to Country Group A:4, which identifies the member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. These four countries are also added to the definition of the term "Nuclear Suppliers Group" in the EAR. The addition of these four countries will lessen the administrative burden on U.S. exporters by decreasing the number of items that require an export license to these countries for nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons.