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Rob O'Brien (US)

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BIS Revises License Review Policy for Advanced Computing Commodities (AI Semiconductors) to China and Macau When Exported from the United States

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The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has issued a final rule, effective January 15, 2026, revising the license review policy for exports from the United States of certain commercially available advanced computing semiconductors to end users in China and Macau—moving from a presumption of denial to case‑by‑case review under certain conditions. The case-by-case review policy is only available for exports meeting strict requirements, including various certifications as to sufficient supply…

OFAC Amends General Licenses for Certain Categories of Transactions Involving Lukoil Entities Outside of Russia and for Lukoil Retail Transactions

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The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) has amended two Russia-related General Licenses (“GLs”) —131A and 128B—affecting (i) contingent contract negotiations for acquisition of and maintaining/winding down transactions with certain Lukoil entities and (ii) retail transactions with ex-Russia Lukoil service stations. More information regarding each GL is below and our blog post regarding prior iterations of these GLs can be found here. Amended GL 131A On December 10, 2025, OFAC…

BIS Issues One-Year Suspension of New “Affiliates Rule”

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On November 10, 2025, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) formally suspended the implementation of the “Affiliates Rule” for one year, as published in the Federal Register (linked here) on November 12, 2025. This suspension follows high-level trade negotiations between the United States and China, culminating in reciprocal concessions announced in late October and early November as discussed on our blog here and here. Background on the Affiliates Rule Originally…

BIS Introduces New “Affiliates Rule” Significantly Expanding Entity List, MEU List, and SDN End User Licensing Requirements Under the Export Administration Regulations

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On September 29, 2025, after some months of speculation, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued an interim final rule “Expansion of End-User Controls to Cover Affiliates of Certain Listed Entities” (the “IFR”). The IFR immediately introduces a new “Affiliates Rule,” essentially a “50% ownership flow-down rule,” into the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). This marks a major shift in US export control policy by automatically extending certain EAR end user…

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