Export controls

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Key Takeaways: The UAE’s reclassification to Country Group A:5 in the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) is one of the most significant expansions of U.S. export licensing flexibility extended to a Middle Eastern partner in recent years. Exporters should promptly assess whether existing licensed shipments or pending BIS applications can now be restructured under a…

Key Takeaway: DDTC’s proposed rule would shift ITAR Part 130 reporting from a transaction-linked model to consolidated annual submissions. It also proposes raising monetary thresholds for the first time since 1993. By making notifications of political contributions and fees or commissions related to foreign arms sales simpler and clearer, the proposal will make reporting more…

Key Takeaway: BIS’s latest guidance closes an ambiguity created by the AI Diffusion Rule rollback, confirming that the original 2023 license requirement for advanced computing items exported to Country Group D:5 and Macau-headquartered entities remains in full force – regardless of where those entities are physically located.

On May 31, 2026, the U.S. Department of…

Key Takeaway: ATF’s latest final rule closes a regulatory gap left by the Export Control Reform (“ECR”) initiative, acknowledging that the Department of Commerce now shares jurisdiction alongside the Department of State over items on ATF’s United States Munitions Import List (“USMIL”).

On May 6, 2026, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”)…

On February 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) reached an administrative enforcement settlement with Teledyne FLIR LLC and its affiliates FLIR Optoelectronic Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. and Teledyne FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc. d/b/a Teledyne FLIR OEM, (together, “Teledyne FLIR”), imposing a $1,000,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations…

On January 12, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming passed (369-22) the Remote Access Security Act, modernizing U.S. export controls to address foreign adversaries’ remote access to controlled technologies through cloud computing services.  

Currently, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) does not consider the provision of cloud computing…

On January 6, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) issued Announcement No. 1 [2026], imposing export controls on dual-use items destined for Japan. The measures took effect immediately, with no wind-down period.

Under the announcement, exports of all dual-use items from China are prohibited where the end user or end use: (i) involves Japanese…

The U.S. Department of State (“State”) has decided to lift the defense trade embargo against Cambodia.  Accordingly, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) will publish on November 7, 2025, a final rule amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) at § 126.1 to remove Cambodia from the proscribed countries list. 

For countries included…

On October 30, 2025, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Busan, South Korea – this marks the first time the two leaders have engaged in face-to-face talks since 2019, during Trump’s first term.

According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued during a press briefing following the meeting, the…

On Thursday, October 9, 2025, China issued a series of new export control measures and designations on China’s Unreliable Entity List (UEL).

The new controls significantly expand the scope of China’s oversight over its rare earth materials by comprehensively regulating the entire supply chain of Chinese-origin rare earths, from specified raw materials to mining and…