As the U.S. pursues new export controls on emerging technologies destined to China, it’s also focusing heavily on updating existing controls to close loopholes and keep pace with technological changes, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said this week.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is drafting an interim final rule that could clarify export control rules for certain semiconductors and expand a license exception for government end users. The rule, sent for interagency review Jan. 26, could clarify controls on certain “Radiation Hardened Integrated Circuits” and expand License Exception GOV (Governments, international organizations, international inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the International Space Station).
The Bureau of Industry and Security is undergoing a restructuring to separate its licensing work from its efforts to evaluate and protect emerging and foundational technologies, said Eileen Albanese, director of the Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls. She said the agency plans to hire at least three new senior officials to usher in the reorganization, which will help BIS meet its “broader mandate.”
Dutch chip equipment maker ASML isn’t expecting to receive export licenses this year to ship several of its deep ultraviolet immersion lithography systems to China, along with one older DUV tool not previously disclosed by the company.
The Bureau of Industry and Security completed an interagency review for a proposed rule to address “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.” The agency sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 16 (see 2308170008) and completed the review Jan. 19.
The U.S. likely will face challenges trying to place export controls on RISC-V, an open-source semiconductor architecture that policymakers fear China may use to evade export restrictions and leapfrog their U.S. competitors, Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology said this week.
Annual encryption self-classification reports and semi-annual sales reports for certain encryption items are due to the Bureau of Industry and Security by Feb. 1, Thompson Hine said in a reminder to clients last week. The self-classification report covers less sensitive items under the BIS License Exception ENC, and must provide information on encryption commodities, software and components exported during the previous calendar year. For the upcoming semi-annual sales report deadline, BIS requires information on exports that occurred between July 1 and Dec. 31 of the previous year.
The State Department gathered an undisclosed “group of countries” last week to “strategize” on ways to curb the supply of parts to Iranian drones, a department official said Jan. 17.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is working on a new final rule that could add to its list of proscribed countries under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Those countries are generally subject to an export license review policy of denial. DDTC sent the rule for interagency review Jan. 12.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is seeking public comments on an information collection involving notices of “material change” to a DDTC-registered company. Any company making or marketing items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and registered with DDTC must notify the agency “in the event of a change in registration information,” or if the company is a party to an ITAR-related merger, acquisition or divestiture, DDTC said. The agency said it needs this information “to ensure registration records are accurate and to determine whether the transaction is in compliance with the regulations.” Comments are due March 18.