The 37th Annual BIS Update Conference

The 37th Annual Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Update Meeting focuses on protecting our and the Allies’ interests by preventing technology transfers, especially on advanced chips and dual-use technologies. The conference was held in Washington, D.C. from March 18 to 205, 2025. The meeting highlighted the efforts of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to bargain chip production and the need to cooperate with industries and allies to oppose this threat. Major discussions include biotechnology control, emphasis on compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) (BWC), and updates on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The meeting also discussed the addition of new red flags and extradomain rules through De Minimis and foreign direct product rules.

International cooperation is a major theme, from the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), with a focus on preventing technology transfer and implementing export controls. Knowing that your client meeting emphasizes the importance of due diligence and screening end users to identify and resolve red flags. The Aukus Breakthrough Course covers the latest news from the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Weapons Regulations (ITAR), simplifying defense trade between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the new ITAR exception supposed to enable approximately 80% of defense trade in §126.7. The law enforcement overall emphasized that “all technologies are dual uses in nature” and emphasized the need for end-use inspections, which Iran has identified as an ongoing concern.

China’s third-day seminar discussed China’s military modernization ambitions and the need to prevent technology from being transferred to Iran. New rules such as Foundry due diligence rules were introduced to detect advanced AI chips before exporting. The meeting, with the assertion that “national security is a shared responsibility”, called for strong cooperation between the U.S. government, industry and allies to prevent sensitive technologies from attracting adversaries.

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Do you have questions about the organization’s export control?

Visit www.learnexportcompliance.com to learn about our company, our faculty, our staff and our respected Export Compliance Professionals (ECOP®) certification program. To find upcoming e-seasons, live workshops in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, as well as live webinars, and browse our catalog of over 80 on-demand webinars, visit our ECTI Academy. You can also contact the Export Compliance Training Academy at 540-433-3977 for more information.

Maria G. Ferre is the export control assistant at ECTEM.