On February 6, 2025, the State Department republished the “Cuba Restricted List” identifying entities and subentities that are under the control of, or act for or on behalf of, the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel. The Cuba Restricted List is significant because direct financial transactions with the enumerated entities and subentities are
Export Control
President Trump Announces “America First Trade Policy”
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump released a Presidential Memorandum setting forth an “America First Trade Policy.” In the memorandum, Trump announces these trade actions:
- Directing the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative to “investigate the causes of our country’s large and persistent
New Export Controls on Advanced Computing ICs and Certain Closed AI Model Weights
On January 13, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced controls on advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs) and certain closed artificial intelligence (AI) model weights. “To strengthen U.S. security and economic strength,” the Biden-Harris administration released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) titled “Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion.” The rule…
Department of Commerce Adjusts Levels of Civil Monetary Penalties for 2025
On January 15, 2025, the Department of Commerce’s inflation-adjusted civil monetary penalties for 2025 went into effect. The adjustments, which the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2024, update the penalty rates for violations of laws and regulations enforced by the agency and its bureaus.
While over 40 civil…
BIS Publishes Final Rule Prohibiting the Sale and Importation of Connected Vehicles with Sufficient Nexus to China and Russia
On January 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a final rule prohibiting the sale and importation of connected vehicles incorporating certain hardware and software components (or those components sold separately) with a sufficient nexus to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or Russia. The new prohibitions go into…
DDTC Issues Interim Final Rule to Amend Provisions of the ITAR and USML Categories
On January 17, 2025, the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) published an Interim Final Rule that will amend §§ 121.0 and 121.1 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by revising certain U.S. Munitions List (USML) definitions, adding new definitions, and updating certain parts of the USML under categories II…
BIS Seeks to Further Strengthen Export Controls Targeting China’s Advanced Semiconductor Industry
On December 2, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued two new rulemakings in an ongoing effort to “further impair [China’s] capability to produce advanced-node semiconductors that can be used in the next generation of advanced weapon systems and in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing, which have significant military…
BIS Announces New Controls on Exports to Pakistan
On November 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced new export controls targeting Pakistan to address concerns about the diversion of certain items to unauthorized end uses or end users, particularly those on the Entity List. The final rule, effective November 25, 2024, imposes new licensing requirements…
BIS, DDTC Publish a Series of Rules to Modernize U.S. Space-Related Export Controls
On October 17, 2024, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released three rules—one Final Rule, one Interim Final Rule, and one Proposed Rule—to reduce controls on a variety of less sensitive space-related items, thereby ensuring the U.S. space industrial base remains globally competitive while also bolstering the U.S. international space partnerships. Concurrently…
BIS Adds 26 Companies to the Entity List
On October 21, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a Final Rule adding 26 companies to its Entity List for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy for alleged violations of export controls, involvement in weapons programs of concern, and evasion of U.S. sanctions and export controls…