President Obama announces reform of Munitions Import/Export

[RevDisk]

Believe it or not, looks good.   

It should make it easier to import and export items on the US Munitions List, significantly drop the number of items on the USML, and drastically reduce the time needed to get licenses.  Currently, it's a mess of difference agencies, differing opinions between agencies, confusing paperwork, byzantine systems, etc.   Previously, the International Trade in Arms Regulations were basically a subsidy for European defense contractors, arms manufacturers, aerospace, etc.  It wasn't just the confusing and burdensome process, it was the delays involved.  Months are common, but years aren't rare.  It is strangling our exports.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/30/president-obama-lays-foundation-a-new-export-control-system-strengthen-n

Should be real interesting.

[longeyes]

The economy's going to hell, and the mini-geniuses in D.C. are focused on this?  When the elves scurry about, one has to wonder.  What's the subtext here?  More to the point, who's profiting from these revisions?  Does this mean more arms to Muslim "allies?"  Or is it just a payoff to certain campaign contributors?  What technologies are we talking about transferring?  Point is, we can't trust the policy because we can't trust the policymakers.

[RevDisk]

Will this result in greater exports of OUR ammo to elsewhere, or greater imports of ammo to US?

Greatly help out manufacturers who export ammo, weapons, helicopters, encryption products, electronics or 12,000 other items on the US Munitions List.  

Probably reduce the time/paperwork to import as well, but primarily a win on the export side.

The economy's going to hell, and the mini-geniuses in D.C. are focused on this?  When the elves scurry about, one has to wonder.  What's the subtext here?  More to the point, who's profiting from these revisions?  Does this mean more arms to Muslim "allies?"  Or is it just a payoff to certain campaign contributors?  What technologies are we talking about transferring?  Point is, we can't trust the policy because we can't trust the policymakers.

Dude, this is the only thing thus far that WILL help the economy.  

As for who is going to profit, anyone that sells products overseas.  So now if you make a widget, you can sell it overseas without requiring a huge compliance/legal staff.  Previously, if you were a small/medium sized business, you either lost quite a bit of your margin on compliance or you faced the risk of jail/fines/etc.  There's going to be little difference between what technologies can be transferred, it's just how quickly it can be done and at what cost/time.

Most of the arms going to allies goes through the Foreign Military Sales program run by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which is exempt from the rules that apply to corporations. 

[Jamisjockey]

The economy's going to hell, and the mini-geniuses in D.C. are focused on this?  When the elves scurry about, one has to wonder.  What's the subtext here?  More to the point, who's profiting from these revisions?  Does this mean more arms to Muslim "allies?"  Or is it just a payoff to certain campaign contributors?  What technologies are we talking about transferring?  Point is, we can't trust the policy because we can't trust the policymakers.

Like arming up the Pakis and the Indians at the same time?

[41magsnub]

Back OT, I'm happy to give credit where credit is due.  Streamlining of any portion of government so that it is understandable by those it affects is a plus in my book.

[Phantom Warrior]

Ridiculous, inside joke thread jacks (on a topic I was actually interested in, thanks Rev) are part of the reason I find myself coming here less and less...

[RevDisk]

Back OT, I'm happy to give credit where credit is due.  Streamlining of any portion of government so that it is understandable by those it affects is a plus in my book.

The current situation is bad.  I've been studying it for nearly a year and barely have a handle on it.  The rules are frankly insane.  It currently holds the record for the most byzantine system I've seen in the US government thus far.

It has been crippling our high tech exports for some time now.  To the point where I'd advise anyone who wants to develop modern tech to do so outside of the US.

[Jamisjockey]

Thread cleaned up and decluttered at OP's request. 

[RevDisk]

One of the things I think this might really help with is the domestic private space companies.  It's been very rough to be an American company trying to sell say, satellites or whatnot.  Europe has been cleaning house lately on the satellite development market solely because they can slap "ITAR Free" on the marketing material.  Hell, Boeing spent over a billion dollars to ensure that the Dreamliner was ITAR free.  That's a billion competitive loss that Airbus undoubtedly can (and has) use to their advantage.

[longeyes]

If it generates legitimate commerce, fine.  What cripples our exports is unfair playing fields that our "leaders" do nothing about.  We've experienced massive intellectual property theft over the years, not to mention outright give-aways, for fun or profit, of important products and even whole markets.  One by one we witness economic take-aways.  All part of the largesse of the elites and their boytoys in the State Dept.