Mark your calendar for April 1, 2016: If you have interest in optical technologies on the U.S. Munitions List (USML), you'll want to register comments by that day. (Otherwise, you may feel foolish to have missed an important opportunity!) A webinar on March 2 aims to educate you on the matter.
Proposed amendments to the U.S.’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) promise to have significant and far-reaching effects on optics and photonics. As part of the President's Export Control Reform effort, the Department of State plans to revise Category XII (fire control, rangefinder, optical, and guidance and control equipment). The goal: Describe more precisely articles on the USML that warrant control.
SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs said that historically, the U.S. export control system has fostered an environment where non-U.S. companies with similar products are selling freely, and using the motto "ITAR-Free" to do so. To help the industry better understand, SPIE will present a webinar tomorrow, March 2, from 2-3:30 pm ET.
Submit your comments via e-mail (with the subject line, "ITAR Amendment—Category XII Second Proposed") to [email protected]. You'll find more complete information on the interim proposed rule and comment period (which actually ends April 4, 2016) at https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-03197 and https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-03182.
