Categories of Export Controlled Technology

The following categories are typically where export controlled technology are usually found.  However, there are many items and technology that are export controlled that do not fit into any one of these categories.

• Chemical, Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Chemical and biological weapons (toxins, pathogens, etc.);
  • The chemical or biological agents and precursors associated with chemical or biological weapons;
  • Special materials (e.g. chemical agents, components made from fluorinated compounds, special structures or laminates, energetic materials, propellants, etc.);
  • Pyrotechnics;
  • Equipment used in handling biological materials and certain biomedical technology (e.g. protective and containment equipment, monitoring systems, etc.); and
  • The software, technology, and other equipment associated with such items.

• Materials Technology

  This category includes but is not limited to material processing items and materials such as:

  • Valves, crucibles, pumps;
  • Explosive equipment;
  • Bearings systems;
  • Detection equipment;
  • Measuring systems;
  • Machine tools;
  • Ceramics; and
  • The software, technology, and other equipment associated with such items.

• Remote Sensing / Imaging / Reconnaissance / Satellite

  This category includes but is not limited to items such as:

  • Underwater sound equipment;
  • Radar systems;
  • Satellite systems;
  • Direct view imaging equipment;
  • Optical sensors and equipment;
  • Acoustic systems and components;
  • Magnetic sensors;
  • Radiation detectors;
  • Other detection or measuring equipment; and
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

• Navigation, Avionics and Flight Control

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Navigation and avionics systems;
  • Avionic equipment and components such as gyro and inertial systems,
  • Instrumentation and navigation equipment,
  • Flight control systems,
  • GPS and navigation systems, altimeters,
  • Spacecraft systems; and
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

• Robotics

  This category includes but is not limited to specific types of "robots," "end-effectors," and "control units" such as:

  • Robotic units with certain imaging capability;
  • Robots with certain numerical calculation abilities;
  • Robotics that are specially designed to comply with national safety standards applicable to potentially explosive munitions environments;
  • Robots designed to withstand certain radiation levels;
  • Robots, robot controllers, and robot end-effectors with designed or modified for military applications; and
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

• Propulsion System and Unmanned Air Vehicle Subsystems

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Aero engine systems (e.g. gas turbine engines, cycle engines, pulse jet engines);
  • Vehicle propulsion systems;
  • Non-military unmanned aerial vehicles,
  • Equipment for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles;
  • Flight control systems (e.g. guidance, hydraulic, design technology and propulsion of unmanned vehicles);
  • All military unmanned aerial vehicles, engines, propulsion systems, related electronic assemblies;
  • Explosives and energetic materials, propellants;
  • Pyrotechnics;
  • Specially formulated fuel;
  • Launch support equipment; and
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

• Military Related Technology

  This category is a catch-all category to capture any military related technology (e.g. DOD-funded technology, or dual use items) not otherwise captured in the other categories.

• Telecommunications / Networking / Information Security

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Telecommunications systems, test and production equipment, components, and accessories (portable devises, switching equipment, etc.);
  • Satellite technology;
  • Devises used to intercept communications;
  • Optical fibers and related materials;
  • Networking technology;
  • A variety of information security equipment, software and other materials with encryption or cryptographic capability, and
  • Telecommunications or information security electronic systems or equipment designed, modified, or configured for intelligence, security, or military purposes for use in search, reconnaissance, collection, monitoring, direction-finding, display, analysis, and production of information in military systems.

• Nuclear Technology

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Nuclear reactors,
  • Nuclear reactor fuel elements,
  • Products relating to the test,
  • Inspection or production of nuclear materials,
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items,and
  • Other items regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

  ITAR regulates any article, material, equipment, or device which is specifically designed or modified for use in the design, development, or fabrication of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices, nuclear radiation detection and measurement, and nuclear power generating or propulsion equipment specially designed for use with space, marine or mobile "nuclear reactors," technology related to nuclear weapons such as energy conversion devices for producing electrical energy from nuclear, thermal, or solar energy

• Sensors and Sensor Technology

  This category includes but is not limited to:

  • Acoustic systems (equipment and components),
  • Optical sensors or equipment, cameras,
  • Magnetometers,
  • Radar systems, imaging sensor equipment, and navigation sensor equipment, and
  • The software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

• Advanced Computer / Microelectronic Technology

  This category includes but is not limited to electronic components and specially designed components such as:

  • Integrated circuits,
  • Micro-controller circuits (e.g. storage integrated circuits manufactured from a compound semiconductor, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, electro-optical or "optical integrated circuits" designed for "signal processing"),
  • Different switches, didoes, or modules, and microelectronic processing elements (on-board computers) to achieve "real time processing."

• Information Security / Encryption

  Software that qualifies as "encryption" software is generally subject to Export Control regulations. Encryption software is software whose main task is encryption and decryption of data, usually in the form of files on hard drives and removable media, email messages, or in the form of packets sent over computer networks or the Internet. For instance, merely posting encryption software on the Internet can be an "export" that is subject to Export Control regulations.

• Laser and Directed Energy Systems

  This category includes but is not limited to lasers, laser components, amplifiers, oscillators, and related optical equipment such as:

  • Directed energy weapon systems specifically designed or modified for military applications (pulsed laser systems, particle beam systems, particle accelerators, tracking systems, ion beam systems, etc.);
  • Lasers configured for military application;
  • Space qualified laser systems;
  • A variety of different lasers (e.g. super-high power lasers, semi-conductor lasers, carbon dioxide lasers, tunable & non-tunable lasers, argon ion lasers, alexandrite lasers, neodymium-doped lasers, etc.);
  • Laser amplifiers and oscillators;
  • Optical mirrors;
  • Optical equipment;
  • Wave measuring equipment;
  • Laser diagnostic equipment;
  • Laser acoustic detection equipment
  • And the software, technology and other equipment associated with such items.

  Note, not all lasers qualify as export-controlled, only lasers that meet the EAR/ITAR specific technical criteria.