The U.S. should prevent China from obtaining American technology it can use to advance its artificial intelligence capabilities, Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick said Jan. 29.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said Jan. 28 that the U.S. should place stronger export controls on technologies critical to the infrastructure of an advanced new Chinese artificial intelligence model.
President Donald Trump last week revoked the Biden administration’s 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, which could have ramifications for recent AI-related export controls issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security.
Companies that send tips about possible sanctions breaches to the new U.K. Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation won’t necessarily be notified if their tips lead to an enforcement action, the agency said in new guidance last week.
Although the Bureau of Industry and Security's new artificial intelligence export control framework published earlier this month is “promising,” it also lacks flexibility and omits some key U.S. allies, the Rand think tank said in a new report.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is forming a task force to improve how the government handles foreign military sales and export controls, committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., announced Jan. 22 during a committee organizational meeting.
Jeremy Pelter will serve as the acting Commerce Department secretary and David Lebryk will serve as the acting Treasury Department secretary as nominees Howard Luntnick and Scott Bessent, respectively, look to be confirmed for those roles by the Senate, according to the White House. Pelter previously served as acting undersecretary for the Bureau of Industry and Security when President Joe Biden first took office in 2021 2101290059 and 2109080062). Lebryk previously served as Treasury’s fiscal assistant secretary.
The International Trade Administration published its 2025 Defense Export Handbook, which it said serves as a “toolkit” for companies looking to comply with government regulations for defense exports. It gives guidance to businesses that are new to exporting defense items and includes “tips to navigate” U.S. export requirements, including those governing foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, shipments regulated by the Bureau of Industry and Security and Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, and more.
President Donald Trump took several steps during his first day in office to reverse, delay or scrutinize trade- and sanctions-related actions introduced by the Biden administration, ordering agencies to study existing export controls for possible loopholes, consider changes to outbound investment restrictions, or possibly postpone some of Biden’s recently issued rulemakings. Trump also revoked a sanctions authority that had targeted Israeli settlers in the West Bank and previewed plans to step up sanctions against drug cartels.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is planning to hold its annual update conference March 18-20 in Washington, according to the agency’s website. Registration for the conference hasn’t yet opened.