U6/LU/ZULb UJ:IU ~AX
141002
EMBASSY OF JAPAN
~g20 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20008
March 30, 2005
Dear Ms. Cutler:
With regard to the procurement of supercomputers in the public sector, I am pleased to inform you
of the following.
The Government of Japan has decided to revise the "Procedures to Introduce Supercomputers"
attached to the letter from Ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga to Ambassador Clayton Yeutter dated August 7,
1987 (the "Procedures"), implemented in August 1987, and previously revised:
1.
In JW1e 1990 as communicated to Ambassador Carla Hills in a June 15, 1990 letter from
Ambassador Ryohei Murata.
2.
In March 1995 as communicated to Ambassador Michael Kantor in a March 31, 1995 letter from
Ambassador Takakazu Kuriyama.
3.
In April 1999 as communicated to Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky in an April 30, 1999 letter
from Minister Plenipotentiary Hideaki Kobayashi.
4.
In March 2000 as communicated to Ambassador Charlene Barshefslcy in a March 31, 2000 letter
from Ambassador Shunji Yanai.
Section 1(3) of the Procedures sets out a theoretical peak rating threshold for coverage of the Procedures of
100 billion floating point operations per second (GIGAFLOPS) and over and provides that the coverage be
reviewed as necessary.
In order to reflect technological advances in the supercomputer market, this coverage threshold
needs to be raised. Accordingly, we have amended Section 1(3) of the Procedures to read as follows: "These
Procedures will apply to the introduction of supercomputers with theoretical peak: ratings of 1.5 trillion
floating point operations per second (TERAFLOPS)
and over. This coverage will be reviewed as
necessary." The new threshold will become effective April I, 2005. It will govern all procurements of
supercomputers by the entities listed in ANNEXES I and II of the Procedures that are initiated on or after
April 1,2005.
.
In addition, as a consequence of this change, the procurement of computers with the theoretical
peak ratings of below 1.5 TERAFLOPS initiated on or after Apri