U.S. HOUSE PANEL EASES SOVIET EXPORT CONTROLS

  The U.S. House Foreign Affairs
  Committee voted to ease restrictions on exports that are now
  kept from shipment to Soviet-bloc countries but are no longer a
  threat to U.S. national security.
      The Democratic-controlled committee said the
  administration's export control policies, which restrict
  shipment of thousands of products, contributed to last year's
  record 169 billion dlr U.S. trade deficit.
      The committee said the legislation will cut government red
  tape and make it easier for U.S. companies to compete with
  foreign producers since many of the goods are readily available
  from other countries.
      Rep. Don Bonker, chairman of the International Economic
  Policy subcommittee, said the unnecessary restrictions had cost
  the U.S. 17 billion dlrs in exports a year.
      "This is Congress' number one opportunity to attack the
  trade deficit in a positive way by exporting more," the
  Washington Democrat said.
      The legislation would order the Commerce Department to lift
  controls on 40 pct of goods on the restricted export list over
  the next three years unless other countries agree to comparable
  controls.
      Most of these are of the least sophisticated type of
  technology such as medical instruments.
      It would also give the Commerce Department primary
  authority to decide which exports will be permitted and limit
  the Defense Department to an advisory role in reviewing
  requests to export highly-sensitive technology.
  

