Reforming U.S. Export Controls Reforms: Advancing U.S. Army Interests

The U.S. defense export system is in need of significant reform to reduce the impact of its core inefficiencies and weaknesses. The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) create serious problems for the U.S. defense industry and thereby weaken U.S. national security in several important ways. While the ITAR is mostly successful in preventing U.S. arms from being used against the United States and its allies, the manner in which the ITAR regulations are enforced presents excessive barriers to U.S. firms that impede their ability to compete in the global defense market. These firms are important contractors to the U.S. military, and their success enables the United States to maintain a technological and industrial advantage. Additionally, when U.S. allies choose to purchase defense products from ITAR-free firms based outside of the United States, U.S. Army interoperability with foreign forces decreases.