The James Webb Space Telescope receives its own Commerce Control List entry in a final rule published January 10, 2017. Entry 9A004.u identifies the telescope. Entry 9A004.v covers specified equipment specially designed for it. Reading those two provisions separately explains the change more accurately than describing all Webb-related technology as released from military export controls. [2016-31755]

The distinction begins with exclusions. The component entry does not encompass items enumerated or controlled on the U.S. Munitions List, microelectronic circuits, items described in classifications 7A004 or 7A104, or items described in an entry containing space-qualified as a control criterion. The Commerce rule also assigns national-security and anti-terrorism reasons for control to the new telescope and component entries. [2016-31755]

State supplies a complementary legal boundary. Its January 10 final rule revises Munitions List Category XV and states that the Webb telescope is subject to the Export Administration Regulations. Elsewhere, it distinguishes export and temporary-import jurisdiction from ATF's permanent-import list. Moving an article to Commerce's export list does not itself change that separate permanent-import treatment. [2016-31751]

The two publications are coordinated agency actions, not independent corroboration of an economic result. Both specify January 15 effectiveness, still ahead of this coverage date. Commerce separately adds five component paragraphs under 9A515.y; those additions are not the Webb telescope entry. The useful reading is therefore item-specific: identify the telescope, its qualifying equipment or a separately listed commodity before interpreting the control change. [2016-31751][2016-31755]

Source documents

  1. International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Revision of U.S. Munitions List Category XVhttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-10/html/2016-31751.htm
  2. Revisions to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR): Control of Spacecraft Systems and Related Items the President Determines No Longer Warrant Control Under the United States Munitions List (USML)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-10/html/2016-31755.htm