List Screening

Nuclear, Chemical, Biological

In order to meaningfully impede proliferation and prevent contribution to WMD/Missile programs, the international community has had to figure out a way to control exports of nuclear, chemical and biological items that could be used in these programs. The solution has been to focus on the end-use and end-user of the item rather than the item itself. The US export control system relies on catch-all guidelines to ensure problematic dual-use exports that do not otherwise require a specific license, do not reach destinations where proliferation of nuclear, chemical, biological or missile weapons are a concern.

US export controls prohibit the export without a license of any dual-use commodities, software, or technology (other than publicly available information) that would contribute to projects of proliferation concern. The export administration regulations identify missile projects as well as particular foreign entities that the US government designates as end-users of concern.

A license to export is required if a US exporter:

Knows or has reason to believe that an export will be used in certain nuclear explosives activities, un-safeguarded nuclear activities, and certain safeguarded nuclear activities.
A missile project of concern in a listed country or the design, development, production, stockpiling, or use of chemical or biological weapons, or
Is informed by the Department of Commerce that an export would present an unacceptable risk of use in or diversion to WMD activities or a missile project of concern anywhere in the world.

It is important to know whether an item has a dual-use purpose and to screen end-users to ensure that it is not being exported to an embargoed, sanctioned or excluded entity.