    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [February 15, 2000]
    [Page 256]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 256]]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Actions on
    Digital Computer Exports
    February 15, 2000

    Dear __________:
        In accordance with the provisions of section 1211(d) of the National
    Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85) (the
    ``Act''), I hereby notify you of my decision to establish a new level
    for the notification procedure for digital computers set forth in
    section 1211(a) of the Act. The new level will be 12,500 millions of
    theoretical operations per second (MTOPS). In accordance with the
    provisions of section 1211(e), I hereby notify you of my decision to
    remove Romania from the list of countries covered under section 1211(b).
    I have taken this action based on the recommendation of the Departments
    of Defense, Commerce, State, and Energy. The enclosed report provides
    the rationale supporting these decisions and fulfills the requirements
    of sections 1211(d) and (e) of the Act.
        Section 1211(d) provides that any adjustment to the control level
    described in section 1211(a) cannot take effect until 180 days after
    receipt of this report by the Congress. Section 1211(e) provides that
    any deletion of a country from the Tier 3 group cannot take effect until
    120 days after the Congress is notified. Given the rapid pace of
    technological change in the information technology industry, these time
    periods are too lengthy. I hope that we can work together to reduce both
    notification periods to 30 days. Such changes will permit implementation
    of my current decision and future changes in a more timely fashion.
        I have directed the Secretary of Commerce to adjust the level at
    which an individual license is required for computer exports to Tier 3
    countries. For sales to military entities, the level will be raised from
    6,500 MTOPS to 12,500 MTOPS. For sales to civilian end users, the new
    level will be raised from 12,300 MTOPS to 20,000 MTOPS. I have also
    directed the Secretary of Commerce to adjust the level at which an
    individual license is required for computer exports to Tier 2 countries
    from 20,000 MTOPS to 33,000 MTOPS. Given anticipated significant
    increases in microprocessor performance in the near term, the
    Secretaries of Commerce and Defense will review these levels, as well as
    the level described in section 1211(a), by April 2000, to determine if
    further adjustments are necessary at that time.
        The aforementioned adjustments will take place immediately, with the
    exception of the change to the individual licensing level for military
    end users in Tier 3, which will coincide with the change for the
    notification provisions of the Act, section 1211(a). Both changes will
    become effective at the end of the 180-day notification period, unless
    the Congress provides for a shorter period.
        I look forward to working cooperatively with the Congress on these
    issues.
            Sincerely,

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: Identical letters were sent to John W. Warner, chairman, and Carl
    Levin, ranking member, Senate Committee on Armed Services; Phil Gramm,
    chairman, and Paul S. Sarbanes, ranking member, Senate Committee on
    Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Floyd Spence, chairman, and Ike
    Skelton, ranking member, House Committee on Armed Services; and Benjamin
    A. Gilman, chairman, and Sam Gejdenson, ranking member, House Committee
    on International Relations. This letter was released by the Office of
    the Press Secretary on February 16.