The U.S. government is seeking to sharply ease regulations on the export of satellite parts for the first time in ten years except when North Korea is concerned.

According to a diplomatic source in the U.S., the Defense and State Departments have insisted in a report submitted to Congress that the president should be granted the right to have satellite-related parts and components transferred from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL).

If the right falls to the president, several thousand satellite components will be removed from the strictly regulated Munitions List and their exports will no longer require separate approval by authorities.

The report explained that the eased regulations should be restricted to communications satellites that do not contain classified parts and to exploration satellites serving limited purposes. The departments advised that satellites used militarily and for intelligence gathering should be kept on the Munitions List.

North Korea is not alone on the black list. The U.S. also bans China, Iran and Syria from any export or re-export of U.S. satellite parts.