Export Administration Act of 1979

{{Short description|Former United States federal law}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox U.S. legislation

| shorttitle = Export Administration Act of 1979

| othershorttitles =

| longtitle = An Act to provide authority to regulate exports, to improve the efficiency of export regulation, and to minimize interference with the ability to engage in commerce.

| colloquialacronym = EAA

| nickname = Export Administration Act Amendments of 1979

| enacted by = 96th

| effective date = September 29, 1979

| public law url = http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-93/pdf/STATUTE-93-Pg503.pdf

| cite public law = 96-72

| cite statutes at large = {{usstat|93|503}}

| acts amended =

| acts repealed =

| title amended = 50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense

| sections created =

| sections amended = 50 U.S.C. [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode50a/usc_sup_05_50_10_sq6.html ch. Appendix - Export Regulation] § 2401 et seq.

| leghisturl = http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d096:SN00737:@@@R

| introducedin = Senate

| introducedbill = {{USBill|96|S.|737}}

| introducedby = Adlai Stevenson, III (D–IL)

| introduceddate = March 22, 1979

| committees = Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

| passedbody1 = Senate

| passeddate1 = July 21, 1979

| passedvote1 = 74-3

| passedbody2 = House

| passedas2 =

| passeddate2 = September 25, 1979

| passedvote2 = passed, in lieu of {{USBill|96|H.R.|4034}}

| conferencedate = September 27, 1979

| passedbody3 = Senate

| passeddate3 = September 27, 1979

| passedvote3 = agreed

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| passedbody4 = House

| passeddate4 = September 28, 1979

| passedvote4 = 321-19

| signedpresident = Jimmy Carter

| signeddate = September 29, 1979

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}}

The Export Administration Act (EAA) of 1979 (P.L. 96-72) authorized to the President to control U.S. exports for national security, foreign policy, and short supply purposes. The EAA, like its predecessors, contained a sunset provision, and, beginning in the mid-1980s, Congress let the EAA lapse several times. Each time, the President kept controls on exports in force by declaring an emergency under the National Emergencies Act and invoking authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.{{Federal Register|48|56563}}, {{Federal Register|49|13099}}, {{Federal Register|55|40373}}, {{Federal Register|59|34551}}, {{Federal Register|59|43437}}, {{Federal Register|66|44025}}.

The Act was mostly repealed by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018.Title XVII, Subtitle B of {{USPL|115|232|John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019}} That law provided a statutory basis for the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and did not include any sunset provisions. However, "because the implementation of certain sanctions authorities, including sections 11A, 11B, and 11C of the Export Administration Act ... is to be carried out under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,"{{Federal Register|84|41881}}, {{Federal Register|89|66187}} the president must continue to use IEEPA to maintain the national emergency under which those sanctions were implemented.