U.S. eases export restrictions on computer salesNew York 10 August 2000 The White House has extended its relaxation of export restrictions on high-speed computers, allowing them to be sold to both military and domestic customers in 50 nations, including China and Russia. he new measure will double the number of computers allowed to be sold without government approval to 50 'Three Tier' nations, which included Vietnam, India, Pakistan, as well as China and Russia. The top speed allowed to be sold will be 28,000 mtops, near the speed of four of Intel's new Itanium processors due out this fall.
According to the Wall Street Journal , the industry had spent considerably time and effort lobbying for the measure, as they feared that tight restrictions would limit their sales of next-generation computers using the latest chips. A Pentium III runs at 1,200 mtops, and analysts do not consider the new computers as 'supercomputers'. Closer U.S. allies, or 'Second Tier' nations, will be able to buy computers running at 45,000 mtops, one-third higher than the limits before. Second Tier restrictions will be relaxed almost immediately, while those to Third Tier nations must wait six months as per a 1997 law.
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