    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 24, 1991]
    [Pages 558-559]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Multilateral Export Controls
    May 24, 1991

        Last evening, the United States and sixteen Western allies agreed in
    Paris to implement a new system of export controls for dual-use goods
    and technologies with significant military applications. The agreement
    brings to a close a major review of allied East-West export control
    policy initiated in January 1990, in response to the President's call
    upon the member states of the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral
    Export Controls (COCOM) to adapt their export control regimes to the
    rapidly changing international political and military environment.
        For over 40 years, COCOM, comprised of NATO members (less Iceland)
    plus Japan and Australia, has maintained a system of export controls to
    keep key technologies with both military and civilian uses from being
    used to enhance the military capability of certain countries.
    Historically, these have included the Soviet Union, former members of
    the Warsaw Pact, the People's Republic of China, and several other
    countries. The changes to be implemented by COCOM partners demonstrate
    the continued relevance of COCOM and its ability to adapt quickly to
    changing world circumstances.
        The agreement means a 50% reduction in existing export controls to a
    ``Core List'' of militarily strategic technologies and goods. That
    reduction is in addition to a 33% cut in the list agreed to by COCOM in
    June 1990. The United States and its partners concluded that an overhaul
    of the lists was justified, based on a changing strategic situation and
    rapid diffusion of some technologies that were making the existing
    control lists obsolete. The Core List contains only the most critical
    goods and technologies, which are essential in maintaining the existing
    significant gaps between Western and Soviet-based military systems, gaps
    that were demonstrated to be critical to our national security in
    Operation Desert Storm. On the other hand, because of the broad
    diffusion of certain technologies, export controls have been eliminated,
    for example, on most of the computers exported from the United States
    today. COCOM member/states also agreed to significant reductions in
    controls on microprocessors, machine tools, aircraft, avionics, and
    propulsion systems. In addition, the United States will continue a
    presumption of approval for the export of Core List items to bona fide
    civil end-users for civilian purposes.
        The new agreement continues the trend toward reducing controls on
    items destined for Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, reflecting the
    disintegration of the Warsaw Pact and the fact that these three
    countries have entered into strategic trade agreements with Western
    nations to prevent diversion of Western-supplied technology to the
    Soviet Union.
        COCOM partners agreed that individual countries will continue
    controling goods
    and technologies dropped from the

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    COCOM list that could contribute to the development of nuclear,
    chemical, and biological weapons, and the missiles to deliver them.
        Full implementation of the new lists is planned for September 1,
    1991, and a fact sheet is available that provides additional details on
    the COCOM agreement.