CNAS Announces New Project on Export Controls and National Security

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) today announced the launch of a new initiative on export controls and their changing role in U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

Economic statecraft has become part of mainstream U.S. foreign policy. Historically, American leaders reached to tools like export controls to safeguard national security and to achieve foreign policy goals, such as limiting illicit arms proliferation. Over the past several years, however, there have been substantial shifts in both the scope and policy goals of American export controls. Ranging from the technology sector to defense and biopharmaceutical fields, more industry and government leaders are finding themselves on the front line of sensitive decisionmaking on whether and how to advance security by limiting exports. These decisions are critical to U.S. strategic competition with China and navigating the future of bilateral economic ties.

To inform decisionmakers across the U.S. government, in the broader national security community, and in private industry, CNAS is launching an initiative to bring together experts and stakeholders to address responsible and effective policymaking in the export controls domain. The project will address how the foreign policy and national security goals served by U.S. export controls are changing, the extraterritorial and unintended effects of export controls, and how to best engage allied governments on these issues. The project will convene stakeholders through a series of workshops and discussion forums and produce a series of concise policy briefs and other publications that will inform decisionmakers in both the government and the private sectors.

“As U.S. export controls have grown in prominence, so too has it become clear that Washington needs a more strategic and systemic approach to this critical tool,” said Ely Ratner, CNAS Executive Vice President. “This CNAS initiative is poised to make an important contribution by developing an actionable export controls strategy for U.S. government and industry leaders.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with the project leads, contact Cole Stevens at cstevens@cnas.org or (202) 695-8166.