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U.S. Export Controls
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The United States imposes export controls to protect national security interests and promote foreign policy objectives. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) administers and enforces the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR parts 730 – 774), which govern the export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of items “subject to the EAR” and certain activities of U.S. persons. Items (commodities, software, and technology) “subject to the EAR” include dual-use items and less sensitive military items described on the Commerce Control List (supplement no. 1 to part 774 of the EAR) (CCL) by Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), and items not described in or otherwise classified under any ECCN of any category of the CCL designated as “EAR99.” The EAR is available at https://www.bis.gov/regulations/ear and on the e-CFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations).

For assistance with regulatory requirements on items under the export control jurisdiction of other U.S. Government agencies, exporters should consult those U.S. Government agencies. For example, the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has authority over critical defense articles and all defense services. A list of other agencies involved in export controls can be found on the BIS website and in Supplement no. 3 to part 730 of the EAR.

BIS works closely with U.S. embassies, foreign governments, industry, and trade associations to ensure that the export, re-export and transfer (in-country) of items subject to the EAR, as well as certain activities of U.S. persons is accomplished in compliance with the EAR. 

Guidance and Training:

BIS has published “Know Your Customer” guidance and red flags, to aid exporters in identifying possible violations of the EAR (see Supplement no. 3 to part 732). Dissemination with industry members is highly encouraged to help promote EAR compliance.

BIS offers in-person and virtual training throughout the year on the basics of exporting to more advanced topics. A listing of BIS events is available at https://www.bis.gov/learn-support/training/upcoming-events. BIS also offers online training videos at https://www.bis.gov/learn-support/training-videos. BIS’s Export Control Officers (ECOs) and Export Control Analysts (ECAs) located at U.S. embassies and consulates in 11 overseas locations also conduct outreach to raise awareness of re-export and transfer (in-country) requirements with foreign business communities.   

Assistance is available from BIS by contacting an export counselor at (202) 482-4811 (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm ET) or by e-mail at ECDOEXS@bis.doc.gov.

Enforcement:  

BIS officials conduct site visits, known as End-Use Checks (EUCs), globally with end-users, consignees, and/or other parties related to transactions involving items subject to the EAR and shipped under a license, another form of BIS authorization, or as “no license required.” An EUC is an on-site verification of a non-U.S. party to a transaction, conducted as part of BIS’s licensing process as well as its compliance program, to determine whether the party is a reliable recipient of items subject to the EAR and is in compliance with the EAR and the conditions of a license or other authorization, if applicable. Specifically, an EUC verifies the bona fides of transactions subject to the EAR, including confirming the legitimacy and reliability of the end use and end-user; monitors compliance with license conditions; and ensures items are exported, re-exported or transferred (in-country) in accordance with the EAR. These checks might be completed prior to the export of items pursuant to a BIS export license in the form of a Pre-License Check (PLC) or following an export during a Post-Shipment Verification (PSV), regardless of whether a BIS license is required.

BIS officials rely on EUCs to safeguard items subject to the EAR from diversion to unauthorized end uses/users and destinations. The verification of a foreign party’s reliability facilitates future trade, including during BIS license reviews. If BIS is unable to verify the reliability of the company or is prevented from accomplishing an EUC, the company may receive, for example, more regulatory scrutiny during license application reviews or be designated on BIS’s Unverified List or Entity List, as applicable. 

Contact information for BIS’s overseas ECOs can be found at: https://www.bis.gov/about-bis/bis-leadership-and-offices/OEA/export-control-office-program 

Consolidated Screening List

The Consolidated Screening List (CSL), available on the International Trade Administration’s Trade.gov website, is a list of parties for which the U.S. Government maintains restrictions on certain exports, re-exports, or transfers of items. The CSL consolidates multiple export screening lists maintained by the Departments of Commerce, State, and the Treasury into a single data feed as an aid to industry in conducting electronic screening of parties to regulated transactions. Exporters should determine the export requirements specific to their proposed transaction by classifying their items prior to export and reviewing the applicable regulations specific to the item(s), the proposed end use and end user, as well as consulting the CSL to determine if any parties to the transaction may be subject to specific license requirements.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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