Examples of Dual Use Items

Dual-use items have a primary commercial/civil application but have also have the potential for military or weapons applications. The U.S. Department of Commerce has listed the dual-use items, software, and technology it controls on the Commerce Control List found in 15 CFR 774.

This list is divided into ten broad categories, as follows:

0- Nuclear
1- Materials, Chemicals, Microorganisms and Toxins
2- Materials processing
3- Electronics
4- Computers
5- Telecommunications and Information Security
6- Lasers and Sensors
7- Navigation and Avionics
8- Marine
9- Propulsion Systems, Space Vehicles and Related Equipment

Within each category, controlled items are divided into five groups, as follows:

A- Equipment, Assemblies and Components
B- Test, Inspection, and Production Equipment
C- Materials
D- Software
E- Technology

Controlled items are identified with a five-digit control number, called an Export Control Classification Number. The first digit is an indication of the category, the second digit indicates the group, and the last three digits indicate the type of control. The following are examples of controlled items, and the ECCNs that apply to them:

Digital Oscilloscopes

3A292 – Controls digital oscilloscopes, with analog-digital conversion, greater than 1 giga-sample per second, 8 bits or greater resolution, stores 256 or more samples
3D292 – Controls oscilloscope software
3D292 – Controls production, development, or use technology for oscilloscopes

Telemetry Equipment

5A101 – Telemetry equipment designed or modified for UAVs or rocket systems
5D101 – Telemetry software
5E101 – Production, development or use technology for telemetry equipment and/or software

Acoustics

6A00 – Object detection systems [capable of certain performance thresholds]
6D001 – Acoustics software
6E001/6E002 – Production and development technology for acoustics

Underwater Equipment

8A992 – Life jackets, inflation cartridges, compasses, wetsuits, masks, find, weighbelts and dive computers
8D992 – Underwater equipment software
8E992 – Development, production and use technology for underwater equipment