Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TAIPEI2719
2005-06-22 08:39:00
SECRET//NOFORN
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TAIWAN MAY TIGHTEN EXPORT CONTROLS

Tags:  ETTC PARM PINR PREL PTER TW 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T TAIPEI 002719 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PASS AIT/W
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/EP, AND NP/ECC/MCCELLAN
STATE FOR INR/EC/NKWG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2015
TAGS: ETTC PARM PINR PREL PTER TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN MAY TIGHTEN EXPORT CONTROLS

REF: A. TAIPEI 2705

B. TAIPEI 2682

C. TAIPEI 2475

D. TAIPEI 1909

Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS H. PAAL, REASON 1.5 (B),(D)

S E C R E T TAIPEI 002719

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PASS AIT/W
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/EP, AND NP/ECC/MCCELLAN
STATE FOR INR/EC/NKWG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2015
TAGS: ETTC PARM PINR PREL PTER TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN MAY TIGHTEN EXPORT CONTROLS

REF: A. TAIPEI 2705

B. TAIPEI 2682

C. TAIPEI 2475

D. TAIPEI 1909

Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS H. PAAL, REASON 1.5 (B),(D)


1. (S) As reported in ref A, AIT/T Econ Officer delivered
the demarche requesting Taiwan assistance to investigate
possible cases of sensitive technology being sold to Pakistan
and Syrian entities. On the margins of the demarche, Wally
Su, the head of the Board of Foreign Trade Export Control
Working Group, raised three additional points regarding
Taiwan and US cooperation on export controls.

Compliance Verification Study
--------------

2. (SBU) Su told AIT/T that BOFT is planning to start
conducting a survey of 65 machine tool firms to assess
compliance levels with current regulations. Su said that
BOFT would review all customs manifests for machine tool
exports by these firms to confirm whether they had obtained
BOFT approval before shipment where required. In addition,
BOFT will compile a table of end-users for analysis and plans
to confirm some of the end-users on the export manifests.
BOFT also wants to provide the US with its end-user data so
that the Taiwan list can be compared with unreleased US
"black lists." Su indicated that BOFT hopes to have some
preliminary results from the study in about one month.

US Comments on Draft Export Controls
--------------

3. (C) Su asked about US comments on Taiwan's draft export
control plan (reported in ref C). He noted that Taiwan had
provided the draft plan to the US two weeks ago and that
Taiwan wants to raise the plan with its machine tool industry
as soon as possible. (Note: Su was not present at the
meeting on June 20 when AIT/T met with Peter Ho, Director,
Export Controls, Board of Foreign Trade. As reported in ref
B, Ho had also taken the opportunity to ask if the US had any
comments on Taiwan's draft export control program reported.
End Note.)

Expanded Scrutiny
--------------

4. (S) Su noted that Taiwan's draft export control plan
calls for a positive requirement for Taiwan firms to obtain
an export permit to ship machine tools to North Korea. In
addition, he said that BOFT is expanding its scrutiny of
shipments to other countries of concern, such as Iran. Su
said that BOFT would like to refer specific cases to US
officials and receive a rapid response within two weeks. As
discussed in ref D, BOFT would refer cases in writing to the
US via AIT.


5. (S) COMMENT: Taiwan officials miss no opportunity to
tell us they are expanding and tightening their system of
export controls. However, to date, Taiwan has not requested
US comment on any export control end-user checks or export
license issuances. Our sense is that Taiwan is willing, even
anxious, to have US concurrence on end-user checks, but is
concerned over how long it will take to transmit information
to Washington and to receive a response. In addition, Su,
and other BOFT officials, regularly note their interest in
receiving regular updates from US sources regarding names of
companies that are suspected of involvement in illicit trade
in sensitive technologies. End Comment.
PAAL