    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [August 19, 1994]
    [Pages 1484-1485]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on Continuation of Export Control Regulations
    August 19, 1994

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic
    Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report to the Congress that I
    have today exercised the authority granted by this Act to continue in
    effect the system of controls contained in 15 C.F.R., Parts 768-799,
    including restrictions on participation by U.S. persons in certain
    foreign boycott activities, which heretofore have been maintained under
    the authority of the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, 50
    U.S.C. App. 2401 et seq. In addition, I have made provision for the
    administration of section 38(e) of the Arms Export Control Act, 22
    U.S.C. 278(e).
        The exercise of this authority is necessitated by the expiration of
    the Export Administration Act on August 20, 1994, and the lapse that
    would result in the system of controls maintained under that Act.
        In the absence of controls, foreign parties would have unrestricted
    access to U.S. commercial products, technology, technical data, and
    assistance, posing an unusual and extraordinary threat to national
    security, foreign policy, and economic objectives critical to the United
    States. In addition, U.S. persons would not be prohibited from complying
    with certain foreign boycott requests. This would seriously harm our
    foreign policy interests, particularly in the Middle East.
        Controls established in 15 C.F.R. 768-799, and continued by this
    action, include the following:
        --National security export controls aimed at restricting the export
            of goods and technologies, which would make a significant
            contribution to the military potential of certain other
            countries and which would prove detrimental to the national
            security of the United States.
        --Foreign policy controls that further the foreign policy objectives
            of the United States or its declared international obligations
            in such widely recognized areas as human

    [[Page 1485]]

            rights, antiterrorism, regional stability, missile technology
            nonproliferation, and chemical and biological weapons
            nonproliferation.
        --Nuclear nonproliferation controls that are maintained for both
            national security and foreign policy reasons, and which support
            the objectives of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Act.
        --Short supply controls that protect domestic supplies, and
            antiboycott regulations that prohibit compliance with foreign
            boycotts aimed at countries friendly to the United States.
        Consequently, I have issued an Executive order (a copy of which is
    attached) to continue in effect all rules and regulations issued or
    continued in effect by the Secretary of Commerce under the authority of
    the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, and all orders,
    regulations, licenses, and other forms of administrative actions under
    the Act, except where they are inconsistent with sections 203(b) and 206
    of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In this
    Executive order I have also revoked the previous Executive Order No.
    12923 of June 30, 1994, invoking IEEPA authority for the prior lapse of
    the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, extended on July 5,
    1994, by Public Law 103-277.
        The Congress and the Executive have not permitted export controls to
    lapse since they were enacted under the Export Control Act of 1949. Any
    termination of controls could permit transactions to occur that would be
    seriously detrimental to the national interests we have heretofore
    sought to protect through export controls and restrictions on compliance
    by U.S. persons with certain foreign boycotts. I believe that even a
    temporary lapse in this system of controls would seriously damage our
    national security, foreign policy, and economic interests and undermine
    our credibility in meeting our international obligations.
        The countries affected by this action vary depending on the
    objectives sought to be achieved by the system of controls instituted
    under the Export Administrative Act. Potential adversaries may seek to
    acquire sensitive U.S. goods and technologies. Other countries serve as
    conduits for the diversion of such items. Still other countries have
    policies that are contrary to U.S. foreign policy or nonproliferation
    objectives, or foster boycotts against friendly countries. For some
    goods or technologies, controls could apply even to our closest allies
    in order to safeguard against diversion to potential adversaries.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,
    August 19, 1994.

    Note: The Executive order is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.