WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Bush administration asked Congress on Tuesday to sharply increase penalties on companies that violate export controls on dual-use technology and give Commerce Department agents new investigative powers at home and abroad. 

“In today’s post-9/11 world we need to give law enforcement officers the vitally important tools necessary … to keep the most sensitive items out of dangerous hands,” Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in a statement. 

 

The proposed Export Enforcement Act of 2007 would give the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) “enhanced tools in the fight against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction,” the Commerce Department said. 

It would increase maximum corporate penalties from $50,000 under the executive orders to either $5 million or ten times the value of the exported good, whichever is more. 

It would also give the Commerce Department’s special agents statutory authority to investigate overseas and expanded undercover authority, the department said.

 

Read the rest at Reuters India website

Posted on April 25th, 2007 by keeton
Filed under: News