Tariffs and trade

Export Controls Enforcement Act

This bill provides statutory authority for the Export Control Officer Program. Under the program, export control officers assist in monitoring the compliance of transactions subject to the Export Administration Regulations outside the United States to prevent and detect illicit diversion to unauthorized end uses, end users, or destinations.

Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to establish the program for five years and station at least 20 export control officers at U.S. diplomatic or consular posts. The bill also outlines the duties of export control officers.

Additionally, BIS must appoint a director to lead the program.

Stop Stealing our Chips Act

This bill creates a whistleblower incentive program and establishes whistleblower protections for individuals who provide information to the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) related to violations of U.S. export control laws.

Currently, BIS administers and enforces controls on the export of dual-use goods (e.g., items with both civilian and military uses) and certain military parts and components. These export controls are implemented primarily under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) through the Export Administration Regulations.

Under the bill, BIS must establish a whistleblower incentive program to reward individuals who voluntarily report original information that results in BIS (1) imposing fines under ECRA on persons that violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause a violation of ECRA or any related regulation, order, license, or authorization; or (2) requiring the forfeiture of property that results in net proceeds.

Additionally, BIS must establish a secure online portal for whistleblowers to report violations of ECRA. The bill outlines requirements for BIS to review, investigate, and provide status updates related to these reports.

The bill requires BIS to pay an award to certain whistleblowers who voluntarily reported original information that led to the imposition of a fine under ECRA. The bill establishes the Export Compliance Accountability Fund for paying these awards and funding related activities.

The bill also sets forth whistleblower protections by (1) prohibiting employers from impeding communication or retaliating against individuals who act as whistleblowers, and (2) establishing confidentiality requirements.

Chip Equipment Quality, Usefulness, and Integrity Protection Act of 2025 or the Chip EQUIP Act

This bill prohibits companies that receive certain federal funds from purchasing specified semiconductor manufacturing equipment made by foreign entities of concern (e.g., companies owned or controlled by China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia) or their subsidiaries for the federally funded project.

The CHIPS Act of 2022, which became law in August 2022, appropriated funding for the Department of Commerce to carry out the CHIPS for America provisions enacted in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. These provisions included appropriations for financial incentives to expand domestic manufacturing capacities across the semiconductor supply chain, as well as for research and development programs.

Under the bill, Commerce must include in the terms of each agreement with a covered entity (e.g., companies receiving CHIPS funds) prohibitions with respect to a project relating to the procurement, installation, or use of the specified semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The prohibitions must be effective for 10 years beginning on the date on which the agreement is signed.

The bill authorizes Commerce to waive these prohibitions under certain circumstances, such as if the specified semiconductor manufacturing equipment is not produced in the United States or an allied or partner country in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality to support established or expected production capabilities.

Protecting American Competition Act of 2026

This bill establishes additional requirements for the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to review applications for export licenses and establishes related reporting requirements.

Specifically, the bill directs BIS, when reviewing an application for a license or other authorization for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of controlled items, to consider whether the requested license or other authorization would be the initial license or other authorization for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of the item to an ultimate consignee or end user.

After issuing an initial license or other authorization, BIS must attempt to administer in a timely manner any subsequent license application by a different applicant for the same or a similar item to the same ultimate consignee or end user as the initial license.

The bill requires BIS to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees on initial licenses granted by BIS. Additionally, BIS must report to Congress on how it is implementing the bill's provisions.

Strengthening Export Controls Compliance Act

This bill requires the President and the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to provide businesses and others with assistance in complying with U.S. export control laws.

Specifically, the bill directs the President to submit a plan to Congress every two years to assist U.S. persons, especially small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses, with export licensing and compliance.

The bill provides statutory authority for an annual conference held by BIS, which is known as the Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy.

The bill also requires BIS to (1) carry out dedicated public and industry outreach before promulgating major new rules regarding export control laws, and (2) include information on classification requests and advisory opinions in its annual report to Congress.

Semiconductor Technology Resilience, Integrity, and Defense Enhancement Act or the STRIDE Act

This bill requires the Department of State to coordinate with the governments of other countries to prevent the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries from acquiring critical semiconductor technologies.

Specifically, the State Department must coordinate actions with governments of countries (partner countries) that maintain significant capabilities in semiconductor technology research, design, manufacturing, materials, equipment, or equipment subsystems and components.

Among other coordination objectives, the State Department must seek to achieve (1) alignment of export control policies regarding semiconductor technology manufacturing equipment and the critical subcomponents needed to produce such equipment; and (2) expanded restrictions on semiconductor technology design tools, intellectual property transfers, equipment servicing, and technical assistance that could enable semiconductor technology development capabilities in North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran.

The State Department must regularly assess the extent to which partner countries are implementing measures consist with U.S. policy described by the bill. If the State Department determines a partner country is not sufficiently implementing security measures, then the State Department must take specified actions, such as requesting that the Department of Commerce convene a meeting of the Export Administration Review Board (EARB) to identify and execute a plan of action. Further, the State Department must provide recommendations to the EARB to apply foreign direct product rule restrictions to semiconductor technology produced in the non-cooperating partner country that incorporates U.S.-origin technology, software, or equipment.

Finally, the State Department must report to Congress every 90 days.

This bill extends from 5 to 10 years the statute of limitations for civil and criminal violations of U.S. export control laws. The bill also specifies that the commencement of an action, suit, or proceeding includes the issuance of a charging letter. (A charging letter is a formal notification by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security that a company or individual is under investigation for an apparent violation of export administration laws or regulations.)

BIS Licensing Efficiency Act of 2026

This bill establishes a timeline for the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to make decisions on applications for export licenses and establishes certain reporting requirements.

Specifically, the bill directs BIS to make a decision on whether to approve an application for an export license and notify the applicant of the decision within 90 days of receiving the application.

If no licensing decision is made within 120 days of submission of the application, BIS must notify the applicant of the status of the application, the reason a decision has not been made, and request any additional information necessary to make a decision.

BIS must submit quarterly reports to specified congressional committees on the processing of license applications and other requests for authorization for the export, reexport, release, and in-country transfer of controlled items.

The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to audit and report to specified congressional committees on the license review process of BIS.

This bill increases civil penalties for violations of U.S. export control laws.

Specifically, the bill increases the maximum statutory civil penalty for each violation of any regulation, order, or license issued under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) to $1.2 million or four times the value of the transaction, whichever is greater. (Currently, the maximum statutory civil penalty for each violation of ECRA is $300,000 or twice the value of the transaction, whichever is greater. The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security adjusts this maximum amount annually for inflation.)

Interagency Coordination in Export Controls Act of 2026

This bill authorizes specified departments to propose regulations on U.S. export controls. It also directs the Department of State to evaluate China's military-civil fusion strategy (a national strategy to eliminate barriers between China's civilian commercial sector and its military and defense industrial sectors).

Specifically, the bill authorizes the State Department and the Departments of Defense and Energy to propose new rules or amendments to existing rules under the Export Administration Regulations. These departments may submit proposals directly to the Export Administration Review Board (EARB), which reviews applications for export licenses. The EARB must vote to accept or reject the proposal within 30 days of the proposal's submission, but the bill allows a 30-day extension.

The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Securities (BIS) must initiate the rulemaking process for each proposal accepted by a simple majority vote of the EARB.

BIS must also coordinate (instead of consult) with these departments on activities related to U.S. export controls.

The bill also requires the State Department, within 30 days of the bill's enactment, to complete a review of the implications of China's military-civil fusion strategy on U.S. export control policy and national security. The State Department must consider proposing to the EARB (or any successor entity) any change to U.S. export control policy identified pursuant to the review. The EARB must vote on the adoption of each proposal.

The State Department must report to Congress on the activities required by the bill.

Bureau of Industry and Security License Administration Enhancement Act

This bill revises certain processes used by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to review applications for export licenses.

Specifically, the bill requires BIS to administer any export control license or other authorization considered pursuant to an is informed letter or similar guidance or communication sent to a U.S. or foreign person in the same way as the standard interagency process. (An is informed letter notifies individual companies and universities of supplemental license requirements and requires compliance with the letter's license requirements. BIS guidance states that noncompliance with a letter is treated the same as noncompliance with any other license requirement under the Export Administration Regulations.)

The bill requires any is informed letter or similar guidance or communication to be terminated within 60 days after issuing a related license or other authorization unless BIS publishes a regulation that provides for the parameters of the letter or guidance or publishes the communication in the Federal Register.

BIS must establish standards and factors that licensing officers should use when applying a presumption-of-denial standard to license applications. BIS must submit these factors to Congress prior to publishing them in the Federal Register.

The bill expands the requirements for BIS technical advisory committees, including by requiring BIS to establish committees for specified topics.

BIS must regularly review (and report to Congress on) the implementation of a 2025 interim final rule, which provides additional due diligence procedures regarding advanced computing integrated circuits.

Export Dispute Resolution Act

This bill revises the interagency dispute resolution process for export license applications. In particular, the bill requires the Operating Committee for Export Policy (an interagency body within the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security) to resolve disputes related to specified matters by majority vote, including matters relating to countries that are subject to comprehensive U.S. arms embargoes.

The bill also authorizes the committee chair to decide cases and matters that cannot be decided by majority vote.

Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act

This bill allows for expedited consideration of modifications to the Entity List. (The Entity List is managed by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security. The list identifies the names of persons who are involved, or have the potential to be involved, in activities contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.)

Specifically, the bill allows any member of the End-User Review Committee to submit proposals directly to the full committee requesting a vote for additions to, removals from, or other modifications with respect to the Entity List. Generally, within 30 days of receiving a proposal, the committee must vote to approve or disapprove the proposal.

Generally, the bill establishes a presumption of denial for a license application to export, reexport, or in-country transfer controlled items that involves a foreign person added to the Entity List under the authorities provided by this bill.

Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act

This bill requires the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to complete and submit to Congress the results of an investigation into the alleged use of forced labor in the cobalt mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Specifically, the task force must (1) submit to Congress strategies for preventing the importation of cobalt mined using forced labor, and (2) provide semiannual briefings to Congress.

This requirement ceases to have effect on the earlier of (1) eight years after the date of enactment, or (2) the date on which the President submits to Congress a determination that forced labor in the DRC mining industry has ended.