Did You Know?

Export controlled dual-use items are critical to developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and are commonly used for peaceful commercial industry. Proliferators exploit weak export control systems to procure these dual-use items for use in WMD programs. Countries are obligated under international agreements to prevent illicit trade in these items and must work diligently across government agencies as well as internationally to prevent contributing to a WMD program. Even advanced countries with elaborate trade control systems frequently lack the capacity to make those systems truly effective in detecting, deterring, and interdicting illicit WMD-related trade.

Opportunity

The Department of Energy (DOE) provides capacity building assistance to foreign partners and the U.S. government to support national export control systems. Government and industry need expertise, tools, and resources to deter, detect, and prevent proliferators from exploiting commercial trade flows to access materials, equipment, components, and know-how needed to develop WMD.

Solution

Building on technical expertise in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear science and engineering, Argonne staff developed deep knowledge of U.S. and international export control policy, procedures, and best practices. Argonne augmented its team with experts in political science, international affairs, and international policy. As a result, Argonne is recognized globally for its overall contribution to nonproliferation and export controls of dual-use items as well as specific work on industry compliance, trade analysis, proliferation risk analysis and export control system design and implementation. Argonne has extensive experience implementing international training events and has developed tools and resources for export control practitioners.

Results

Argonne staff have led improvements to export control systems in the Americas, Former Soviet Union, Europe and the United States. Training activities created cadres of technical experts capable of supporting national export control programs. Argonne has led curriculum development efforts for the DOE/NNSA International Nonproliferation Export Control Program to support global training activities. Argonne has developed an electronic repository with information about controlled commodities that is accessed by experts worldwide. Argonne has worked with the World Customs Organization, European Commission and other international partners to coordinate and deliver export control trainings.