Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969–1972

380. National Security Decision Memorandum 159¹

Washington, March 29, 1972.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Secretary of Commerce

SUBJECT

• Integrated Circuit Technology Exports to Poland and Romania

The President has reviewed the issues involved in the export of integrated circuit (IC) technology to Eastern Europe. He has considered the views of the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce presented in the NSC Under Secretaries Committee memorandum of March 8, 1972,² and has made the following decisions:

1. The export of integrated circuit technology and equipment by British and French firms to Poland and by a U.S. seller to Romania described in the Under Secretaries Committee memorandum is approved subject to the following conditions:

(a) assurances from Poland and Romania on non-transfer of the technology and on non-export of the finished ICs to other Communist countries without prior authorization;

(b) assurances from Poland and Romania that the finished ICs will be used for peaceful purposes only; and

(c) agreement by France and the UK that they will continue to support denial of integrated circuit manufacturing capability to other Communist countries.

2. The Departments of State and Commerce should take steps to bring about a liberalization of COCOM regulations that will permit sales to Eastern Europe of ICs themselves for civilian use up to a level of technology comparable to that which the ICs produced by the equipment going to Poland will provide. IC-producing equipment, however, should continue under present COCOM controls.

3. The Department of Commerce should modify U.S. export licensing policy so as to permit sales to Eastern Europe of ICs themselves up to a level of technology comparable to that of the ICs produced by the British and French equipment. IC-producing equipment should remain under present controls.

4. The Under Secretaries Committee should, following the current COCOM list review, undertake a basic examination of how the COCOM system should be used in the future to control exports to Communist countries. The results of this examination should be submitted to the President for his consideration no later than June 15, 1972.³

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S Files: Lot 83 D 305, NSDM 159. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of Central Intelligence.
2. Document 377.
3. The final report to the President went forward on January 30, 1973; see Documents 383 and 387.