The traditional meaning of "export" radio started with the FCC loophole in the rules that ban the sale of CB transmitters that don't meet legal limitations.
To sell a CB within the rules, it must meet all the technical restrictions and have a 'certificate' from an accredited commercial lab, showing that it doesn't break any of those rules.
Naturally this creates a demand for radios that DO break the rules with too much power and too many frequencies.
The rule that bans transmitters that don't meet the restrictions has a loophole for companies selling military radios outside the USA. So long as a transmitter is intended to be exported outside the jurisdiction of the FCC, it is exempt.
This led to Galaxy and Superstar radios being labeled "for export only" back in the early 1980s. But you still had to smuggle them INTO the country from where they are made in the far east.
In the mid-1990s some genius figured out that the lack of such restrictions on ham radios was a larger loophole to fit through. That's how the non-legal CB "export" radios were re-labeled "10-meter ham" radios. Just cripple it at the factory so it won't transmit any frequency that isn't legal for a ham to use it. This kept the merchandise from being seized by customs on the way into the country. It gets "un-crippled" once it gets past customs.
My favorite comparison is to spray-painting heroin blue, and putting a label on it that says "athletic-field marker chalk", then giving the junkie some paint remover once it's past customs.
So no, a FT-450 is not a traditional "export" radio. It's a legitimate ham radio, perfectly legal to import an resell here in the USA.
73
I am a big fan of using such equipment, much cleaner transmit and better recieve with the roofing filters etc..
