Streamlining the State Department's Munitions List, part of the Obama Administration's major effort to overhaul the nation's outdated export control regime, will make life easier for U.S. companies that sell items that are not inherently military, a top official involved in the process says.

The Munitions List consists of defense-related items, services and technology that require an export license issued by the State Department in order to be sold abroad. Many low-level items are being transferred from the Munitions List to the Commerce Department's Commerce Control List for dual-use items. Restructuring of the lists is designed to place products into different tiers of controls depending on how sensitive they are. Legislative action will be required to eventually merge the lists into a single control list.

Eric Hirschhorn, head of the Bureau of Industry and Security, says rationalization of the Munitions List would eliminate the requirement to register with the State Department for many small and medium-sized businesses who sell minor elements of defense products currently subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

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