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Copyright 2000 The San Diego Union-Tribune  
The San Diego Union-Tribune

April 14, 2000, Friday

SECTION: BUSINESS;Pg. C-2

LENGTH: 358 words

HEADLINE: House moves to expedite computer exports; National security reason for current long delays

BYLINE: Otto Kreisher; COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

BODY:
WASHINGTON -- With a warning that children's digital toys are being restricted from export by a law intended to keep super computers away from potential enemies, a key House committee yesterday unanimously approved a bill to expedite export of American-made computers.

The measure would cut from six months to 30 days the time Congress can review administration proposals to adjust the definition of "super computers," which cannot be exported to countries considered national security threats.

The computer industry complains that the current 180-day delay is unworkable when technical innovations double or triple the speed of computers every three months. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Palo Alto, who co-authored the bill with Rep. David Dreier, R-San Dimas, told the House International Relations Committee that the congressionally imposed waiting period does not allow the export controls to keep up with the rapid advances in computers.

As a result, she said, a recently introduced "children's play station is falling within the limits of the export control act."

Other members of the committee noted that the latest desktop computers sold by IBM and Apple have computing speeds above the export limit.

The Republican-controlled Congress imposed the 180-day review period for increasing the restricted "super computer" threshold in 1997 after news stories indicated that American high-speed computers were sold to firms with apparent military connections in China and Russia.

The restrictions were supposed to hit only the "Tier III" nations, which include China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and Vietnam. But the limits have fallen so far behind that U.S. computer makers are having trouble selling to even the closest U.S. allies.

Rep. Ben Gilman, R-N.Y., the committee's hawkish chairman, urged adoption of the bill and even the strongest anti-China members voted for it.

The Computer Coalition for Responsible Exports applauded the committee's action and urged the House Armed Services Committee to follow suit quickly and send the bill to the floor.

The administration supports the bill but the Senate has not acted yet.



LOAD-DATE: April 17, 2000