BIS Hasn't Received Guidance About Possible Changes to Russia Controls, Officials Say
Senior Bureau of Industry and Security officials haven’t yet been given orders by the Trump administration on several key export control policy issues, including possible plans to soon relax export controls against Russia, multiple Commerce Department officials said last week.
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The people, speaking on the condition of anonymity as part of a policy for career officials at the BIS annual update conference, said they’re still awaiting guidance from political leadership on whether and how Russia-related restrictions could change. They said they expect to soon receive more clarity now that Jeffrey Kessler has been sworn in as BIS undersecretary (see 2503200011) and as more officials are put in place.
“I do think there probably eventually will be implications on the export controls that are in place on Russia. But right now, things are still very restricted,” one official said. “We are very much acting like they're still in place and enforcing the laws as we were before.”
The White House earlier this year reportedly ordered the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of financial sanctions that could be eased as a possible leverage tool as the U.S. works to negotiate an end to Moscow’s war with Ukraine (see 2503030078). But President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also have said they won’t hesitate to increase sanctions against Russia (see 2503070035 and 2503180038).
BIS officials said they are also still awaiting decisions on recent export control rules published by the agency, including its artificial intelligence diffusion rule (see 2503200002).