The Bureau of Industry and Security will hold a virtual public briefing 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST on Dec. 5 about its new export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment (see 2412020016). Registration closes at 1 p.m. EST on Dec. 5.
A new Bureau of Industry and Security license exception that could allow U.S. exporters to continue shipping certain advanced technologies to a list of close American allies is promising, but it presents some “limitations” if not implemented correctly, the Center for Strategic and International studies said this week.
No policy option available to the U.S. government, including lifting export controls, will persuade China to stop trying to de-Americanize and decouple its semiconductor equipment sector, the Center for Strategic and International Studies argued in a new report this week.
Recently issued Bureau of Industry and Security guidance that outlined the agency’s due diligence expectations for banks (see 2411010030) was a “warning shot” to financial institutions that they must take export compliance seriously, Meshkat Law said in a November client alert. The firm said the new guidance dispelled “any notions that compliance with the [Export Administration Regulations] is just for exporters.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security is drafting a final rule that would make certain changes to U.S. export controls based on recent decisions made at the multilateral Australia Group. BIS sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Nov. 22.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is renewing a December change to the U.S. Munitions List that allowed U.S. manufacturers to apply for export licenses to participate in development of the KF-21 aircraft “without removing those defense articles from the USML simply because they are used in the KF-21” (see 2312010010). The revision, which was scheduled to expire Dec. 1, will now last through Dec. 1, 2026, or “when terminated by the Department, whichever occurs first,” DDTC said in a final rule released Nov. 25 and effective Nov. 26.
Export control lawyer Christopher Stagg recently launched a U.S. Munitions List revision tracker to capture updates made to USML categories within the International Traffic in Arms Regulations in recent years. The document reflects changes across all USML categories “since their revision under Export Control Reform,” Stagg said on LinkedIn, adding that he plans to update the tracker with future USML changes. Each category includes the Export Control Reform effective date, any completed regulatory changes along with their Federal Register citations, any proposed modifications and any expected future revisions.
Chinese President Xi Xinping raised concerns about U.S. export controls during what was expected to be his last meeting with President Joe Biden before Donald Trump takes office (see 2411140018), warning the U.S. against pursuing policies that could lead to the decoupling of the two economies.
A letter reportedly sent by the Commerce Department ordering Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to stop shipments of advanced semiconductors to certain Chinese customers (see 2411120011) is a “serious violation of international economic and trade rules” and a “gross interference in free trade,” a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said last week.
China’s Ministry of Commerce released its new dual-use export control list Nov. 15 ahead of the Dec. 1 effective date for its recently issued dual-use export regulations, which outline how the ministry will approach dual-use licensing and export enforcement, detail possible extraterritorial impacts of the controls, and more (see 2410210042).