Revisions to License Exception CTP: Implementation of Presidential Announcement of January 2, 2002

The Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by revising License Exception CTP to reflect rapid technological advances in computing capability. This rule implements the President's decision to revise U.S. export controls on high performance computers (HPCs), announced January 2, 2002. All HPCs continue to be eligible for export to a Computer Tier 1 country under License Exception CTP. Beginning March 3, 2002, HPCs controlled by Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 4A003 with a CTP up to 190,000 Millions of Theoretical Operations per Second (MTOPS) can be exported to Computer Tier 3 countries under License Exception CTP without advance notification. This revision also applies to electronic assemblies and specially designed components controlled by ECCN 4A003. This rule also moves Latvia from Computer Tier 3 to Computer Tier 1, effective May 2, 2002. Finally, this rule adds Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey to the list of countries eligible for exports and reexports of software and technology for computers with unlimited CTP under License Exception TSR. The President's action will promote our national security, enhance the effectiveness of our export control system and ease unnecessary regulatory burdens on both government and industry.