The Bureau of Industry and Security has officially opened registration for its upcoming annual update conference to be held March 18-20. The conference is expected to feature sessions with BIS leadership and "key international representatives," and will include regulatory updates, profiles of recent export enforcement investigations, compliance guidance and presentations from the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services. BIS hasn't yet released an agenda.

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a correction this week to its January interim final rule that created new lists of trusted chip designers and service providers; imposed a broader, worldwide license requirement for chip foundries and packaging companies shipping certain advanced chips captured by Export Control Classification Number 3A090; and made other updates to its existing chip export controls (see 2501150040). The correction, effective Feb. 11, revises 3A090 to correct that ECCN's license requirement.

The U.S. National Science Foundation is seeking public comments as it develops an “action plan” on artificial intelligence development. The request for information, issued on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will help “define the priority policy actions needed to sustain and enhance America's AI dominance” and remove “unnecessarily burdensome requirements” that hinder AI innovation. It specifically asks for feedback on AI “innovation and competition, intellectual property, procurement, international collaboration, and export controls,” among other areas. Comments are due March 15.

U.S. export controls on computing chips and chipmaking equipment are more likely to slow China's advances in artificial intelligence than in military modernization, a researcher said during a Feb. 6 hearing of the congressionally mandated U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

The Trump administration should build on a January move by President Joe Biden that was designed to ease how the government authorizes transfers of missile technology-related exports to close allies, said Sean Wilson, a non-resident aerospace policy researcher with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Companies should consider carrying out extra due diligence when vetting customers that could have connections to address-only listings on the Entity List, a trade lawyer and former Bureau of Industry and Security official said.

Companies should expect new export controls from both the U.S. and China to “remain frequent and volatile,” especially around advanced technologies and critical minerals, Eversheds Sutherland said in a client alert this month. The firm pointed to U.S. controls on certain chip equipment in December (see 2412020016) followed by China’s response, which included new export restrictions on certain key critical minerals and other dual-use items being shipped to the U.S. for military uses (see 2412030022).

A new report from the National Bureau of Asian Research analyzes how Beijing may seek to use its export control authorities and how those moves will impact U.S. supply chains.

The Biden administration’s last-minute publication of complex, consequential national security-related rulemakings appear to “bypass standard rulemaking processes” and are creating challenges for American technology companies, six trade groups representing major U.S. tech firms wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden earlier this week.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week issued a summary of the various export control actions it has taken under the Biden administration, including its various semiconductor-related rules, export restrictions against Russia, Entity Listings, academic outreach efforts (see 2408140049) and more. It also highlighted the administration’s export control work with U.S. allies, including with the U.K. and Australia under the AUKUS partnership (see 2404180035), initiatives with Japan and South Korea (see 2404260067), and enforcement coordination with the Group of 7 nations (see 2409250004).