[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 35 (Monday, September 4, 2000)]
[Page 1980]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Actions 
Concerning Digital Computer Exports

August 30, 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 28,000 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 Estonia from the list of countries covered under section 1211(b). 
The attached report provides the rationale supporting these decisions 
and fulfills the requirements of sections 1211(d) and (e) of the Act. I 
have made these changes based on the recommendation of the Departments 
of Defense, Commerce, State, and Energy.
    Section 1211(d) provides that any adjustment to the control level 
described in 1211(a) cannot take effect until 180 days after receipt of 
this report by the Congress. Section 1211(e) provides that the removal 
of a country from the group of countries covered by section 1211(b) 
cannot take effect until 120 days after the Congress is notified. Given 
the rapid pace of technological change in the information technology 
industry, I believe these time periods are too long. I hope that we can 
work together to reduce both notification periods to 30 days.
    I have also directed the Secretary of Commerce to adjust the 
licensing requirements for Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries. The new level 
above which an individual license will be required for exports to Tier 2 
countries is 45,000 MTOPS. In addition, I have decided to implement a 
single licensing level for Tier 3: the new level above which an 
individual license will be required for exports to Tier 3 countries is 
28,000 MTOPS. The aforementioned licensing adjustments will take place 
immediately.
    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 August 31.