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For
Immediate Release: Sep 13, 2004 Contact - BIS Public Affairs 202-482-2721 |
The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (Lattice) of Hillsboro, Oregon, agreed to pay a $560,000 civil penalty to settle charges that it exported certain semi-conductor microchips and related technical data to the People’s Republic of China in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged that, on six occasions between April 2000 and July 2001, Lattice exported extended temperature range programmable logic devices to China without the required export licenses. The extended temperature range programmable logic devices are military grade semiconductor microchips which have possible dual-use technology implications. BIS also charged that, on five occasions between July 2000 and January 2002, Lattice released related technical data to Chinese nationals in the United States without the required export licenses. BIS further charged that, on one occasion between August 2000 and September 2001, Lattice exported the related technical data to China without the required export licenses.
Lattice failed to obtain export licenses for five Chinese nationals who, during the course of their employment with Lattice, were brought to the United States from China for technical training. Such technical training in the United States requires an export license. The "deemed export" provision of the EAR states that an export license is required for the release of technology to a foreign national in the United States if a license would be required for the release of technology to his/her country of citizenship.
Lattice voluntarily self-disclosed the violations and fully cooperated with the investigation. Lattice has since taken steps to institute controls to help prevent the recurrence of any similar export compliance problems.
Commenting on the case, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Julie L. Myers stated: "Today’s settlement underscores BIS’s commitment to safeguarding sensitive U.S. technology." Assistant Secretary Myers commended BIS’s San Jose Field Office for their efforts in the investigation.