Amendments Affecting the Country Scope of the Chemical/Biological End-User/End-Use Controls

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the chemical and biological weapons end-user/end- use controls in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Specifically, this final rule expands the country scope of the EAR restrictions on certain chemical and biological weapons end-uses to apply to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to any destination, worldwide. Prior to the publication of this rule, such restrictions applied only to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to certain countries of concern for chemical and/or biological reasons. The amendments are consistent with the "catch-all" provisions in the Australia Group's (AG) "Guidelines for Transfers of Sensitive Chemical or Biological Items."