Export Administration Reform Act of 1990

Export Administration Reform Act of 1990 - Directs the President, in light of the rapidly changing strategic environment, to: (1) assess the current list of controlled countries and determine whether it remains appropriate; and (2) review specified export control criteria under the Export Administration Act of 1979.

Amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to require controls on exports to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania to be no more rigorous than similar controls on China as of January 1, 1989, if such countries have export control safeguards equivalent to those of China.

Requires the Secretary of Commerce to identify those nonmilitary industries that can undertake projects to assist economic reforms in the Soviet Union. Requires approval of export licenses for goods or technology at higher levels for such projects unless the end-user presents a significant risk of diversion to a military use.

Authorizes the issuance of licenses for the export or reexport of goods and technology to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, or Romania under specified circumstances.

Declares that, under specified circumstances, there shall be a presumption of approval of a license for export to any country (currently, only China) of any controlled goods, without regard to their technical specifications, for trade show purposes. Declares that such approval shall not apply, for any trade show in the Soviet Union, to supercomputers, goods or technology for sensitive nuclear uses, or devices for interception of wire or oral communications.

Prohibits any item subject to national security controls under the Export Administration Act of 1979 from being subject to controls under the Arms Export Control Act. Authorizes any dissenting agency head to notify the Secretary of his or her objection in any situation where there is a dispute about the applicability of controls under either Act.

Directs the Secretary to designate an official of the Department of Commerce to represent the Secretary permanently in the U.S. delegation to the Coordinating Committee.

Requires the Secretary to review the goods and technology available from newly industrialized countries to determine if they are of such sophistication as to warrant multilateral control. Requires the Secretary of State, if controls are necessary, to negotiate with such countries to obtain their participation in the Coordinating Committee.

Authorizes the Secretary to refer regulatory authority with respect to national security controls to any other Federal agency and to the appropriate technical advisory committee.

Requires regulations issued by the Secretary with respect to periodic removal of goods and technology from national security controls as they become obsolete to provide for annual increases in the performance levels of such items. (Currently such increases are authorized but not required.)

Denies application of any national security controls to the export of control list goods and technology to a country not on the controlled country list unless the Secretary determines and reports to the Congress that continued controls on such items are necessary. Requires notice of any items removed from the list to the Coordinating Committee for multilateral East-West decontrol consideration.

Places the National Security Control Office of the Department of Defense under the direction of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (instead of, as currently, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy).