Obama administration notifies House of extended export control 'emergency'

The Obama administration on Tuesday sent the House a notice saying it has extended an "emergency" for another year that will ensure the continuation of legal authority for maintaining U.S. export controls on certain "dual use" goods, or those that have both civilian and military applications.

The notice, which was read in a quick pro forma session of the House late Tuesday morning, said the administration would extend the emergency related to the lapse of the Export Administration Act (EAA) for one year, until Aug. 17, 2012.

This declaration, made under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), allows the export control system established by the EAA to remain in effect for another year, even though the EAA has technically expired.

The EAA has been lapsed since 2001, and has required emergency extensions of authority since then. A more permanent solution has been difficult to reach due to disagreements over how to shape a new export control system.

For example, industry groups have sought to lower controls on items that can easily be found in the market, and argue that commodity goods need to be exported more freely in order to help U.S. companies generate the profits needed to stay ahead technologically. But national security-minded members of Congress have argued that reform needs to focus on redoubling efforts to ensure certain technologies are kept out of the hands of some governments.