MITI tightens export inspections for products using cryptography

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24 June 1997, Nikkei America

MITI tightens export inspections for products using cryptography

Japan's The Ministry of International Trade and Industry has started stricter export inspection of products incorporating cryptographic technology.

The ministry will inspect such items with an eye to national security issues and prevention of terrorist activities. The new policy has reduced the trading volume of computers, software and IC cards.

It is necessary for exporters to get ministry permission to export products using cryptography and the inspection time has increased from a few weeks to over a month in some cases, said a spokesman for an electric machinery manufacturer.

MITI started stricter inspection after the U.S. government revised its regulations last October. It changed the minimum product price requiring inspection from more than 1 million yen to 50,000 yen.