View Rule

This final rule makes clarifications to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for the use of license exceptions. This final rule revises two existing license exceptions to provide guidance on the use of these license exceptions based on existing agency practice. Specifically, this final rule makes four clarifications to License Exception Governments, International Organizations, International Inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the International Space Station (GOV) and adds five notes, along with making other minor clarifications, to License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA). These clarifications and notes are added to the license exceptions part of the EAR to answer questions BIS has received about the use of these two EAR license exceptions. The answers to these questions are either already found in the EAR or are based on existing agency interpretive practice. Therefore, the clarifications in this final rule do not change the EAR requirements for the use of the license exceptions. The purpose of these clarifications is limited to publicly answering frequently asked questions that BIS has received, with the intent of making these EAR requirements easier to understand. These clarifications should be particularly helpful for people who have recently started using the EAR, such as exporters who have items that have recently moved to the EAR from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) as a result of Export Control Reform. The revisions in this final rule are also part of Commerce's annual retrospective regulatory review plan under Executive Order (EO) 13563.