The following extract of Part 730.3 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) has been obtained from the official Website (bxa.fedworld.gov) of the Bureau of Export Administration in the United States:
"The convenient term 'dual-use' is sometimes used to distinguish the types of items covered by the EAR from those that are covered by the regulations of certain other U.S. Government Departments and agencies with export licensing responsibilities. In general, the term dual-use serves to distinguish EAR-controlled items that can be used both in military and other strategic uses and in civil applications from those that are weapons and military related use or design and subject to the controls of the Department of State or subject to the nuclear related controls of the Department of Energy or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Note, however, that although the short-hand term dual-use may be employed to refer to the entire scope of the EAR, the EAR also apply to some items that have solely civil uses."