The 37th Annual Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Update Conference focused on safeguarding U.S. and allied interests by preventing technology diversion, particularly concerning advanced chips and dual use technologies. The conference was held from March 18-20, 2025 in Washington, DC. The conference highlighted the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) efforts to indigenize chip production and the need for industry and allies to collaborate against this threat. Key discussions included biotechnology controls, emphasizing compliance with international treaties like the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and updates on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Sessions also discussed the addition of new red flags and extraterritorial rules via the De Minimis and Foreign Direct Product Rules.
International collaboration was a major theme, with participation from EU, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK), focusing on preventing technology diversion and enforcing export controls. The Know Your Customer session stressed the importance of due diligence and screening end users to identify and address red flags. The AUKUS breakout session covered updates to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), streamlining defense trade between Australia, the UK, and the U.S. The new ITAR exemption at §126.7 should enable around 80% of defense trade. The Enforcement Plenary emphasized that “all technology is dual use in nature” and highlighted the need for end use checks, with Iran identified as a continued concern.
The China Workshop on the third day discussed China’s military modernization ambitions and the need to prevent technology diversion to Iran. New rules such as the Foundry Due Diligence rule were introduced to detect advanced AI chips before export. The conference concluded with the assertion that “national security is a shared responsibility,” requiring strong cooperation between the U.S. government, industry, and allied nations to prevent sensitive technology from reaching adversaries.
If you would like to see the breakdown of each day, click here.
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Maria G. Ferree is Export Controls Associate at ECTI.
