House rolls back export restrictions on satellites

The House of Representatives has passed an amendment to the 2013 defense authorization bill that would ease export restrictions on commercial satellites and simplify their export to allies and partners, reports Defense News.

The announcement would allow commercial satellites and related components to be transferred from the State Department's U.S. Munitions List back to the dual-use Commerce Control List, the story said.

The 1999 National Defense Authorization Act transferred jurisdiction for commercial satellites to the State Department because of concerns by lawmakers that China had obtained secret technology through a commercial deal that called for launching U.S. commercial satellites into space with Chinese rockets, the story said.

The new amendment would prohibit any such exports to China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan or Cuba, the story said.