The Bureau of Industry and Security is still discussing how it wants to craft its replacement to the Biden-era AI diffusion rule, an agency official said, as well as preparing to finalize recent rules that reduced licensing requirements for exports of certain space-related items and proposed to simplify the License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization. The official also said the Trump administration is considering tweaks to export licensing, acknowledging that applications are taking longer than usual.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has officially appointed Joe Bartlett, former legislative affairs director, to be the agency's new deputy undersecretary, according to his LinkedIn page and the BIS website. Bartlett's previous role was filled by Madison Hardimon, a former congressional staffer, who joined BIS last month. The announcements come more than a month after James Rockas, former BIS deputy undersecretary, left the agency (see 2504290004).
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The Bureau of Industry and Security is planning to soon loosen some export controls on Syria, a move that would align with the Treasury Department’s lifting of certain financial sanctions against the country last month (see 2505230073).
The Bureau of Industry and Security is drafting a new regulation that could create a 50%-ownership threshold rule for parties on the Entity List, a BIS official said this week.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has completed a round of interagency review for two export-control-related notices that could outline general authorizations for certain controlled exports. One notice is titled “GENERAL AUTHORIZATION NO. 1 Limited Use Cases,” and the other is “GENERAL AUTHORIZATION NO. 2 Temporary Importation.” BIS sent both notices to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on May 19, and the reviews were completed June 5. A BIS spokesperson didn't respond to a request for more information.
The Bureau of Industry and Security's recently issued advanced chip guidance appears to raise compliance expectations for industry, especially for banks and forwarders that may be indirectly or inadvertently violating export controls on China, lawyers said.
Gas and oil pipeline company Enterprise Products Partners said last week that it has received notice that the Bureau of Industry and Security plans to deny its request to ship ethane to China.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed June 5 that the Commerce Department is reviewing a Biden administration interim final rule that increased restrictions on firearms exports.
Liz Abraham, former director of the Bureau of Industry and Security's International Policy Office, has joined White & Case as a trade lawyer in its international trade practice, a spokesperson for the firm said. Abraham had been with BIS since May 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile. She officially joined White & Case on June 2.