State Department’s Arrangement on Dual Nationals with Three Canadian Agencies

Last Updated: January 2, 2008

The State Department has concluded arrangements with three more Canadian agencies via letter exchange with respect to access to items controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by Canadian citizens who are dual nationals, similar to the arrangement with the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) announced May 17.

Effective June 19, the Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), National Research Council Canada (NRC), along with the DND, agreed to restrict access to ITAR controlled items to its employees who are issued a minimum SECRET-level security clearance by the Canadian Government, consistent with the procedures established in the exchange of letters.

In exchange, the State Department will revise its export authorizations, which have incorporated limitations/provisos that require specific identification of individuals and countries of dual nationals and execution of Non Disclosure Agreements, to permit Canadian citizen/dual-national employees of the four agencies access as needed to ITAR defense articles and services if they possess a minimum SECRET-level security clearance. This applies only to the CSE, CSA, NRC and DND and is not extended to private companies in Canada.

The State Department’s Office of Defense Trade Controls Licensing will re-issue export authorizations to companies for export of defense articles or services to the CSE, CSA, NRC, and DND where the restrictive limitations or provisos have been imposed. The reissued export authorizations will contain proviso language reflecting the June 19 State Department-CSE-CSA-NRC and the May 17 State Department-DND arrangements mitigating the requirement for specific identification of dual nationals and execution of Non Disclosure Agreements. It will not be necessary for companies to apply for an amendment to existing affected authorizations.