Bureau of Industry and Security - Shifting Global Priorities

Shifting Global Priorities

BIS activities and regulations also seek to adapt to changing global conditions and challenges. The political, economic, technological, and security environment that exists today is substantially different than that of only a decade ago. Laws, regulations, or practices that do not take into account these new global realities - and that do not have sufficient flexibility to allow for adaptation in response to future changes - ultimately harm national security by imposing costs and burdens on U.S. industry without any corresponding benefit to U.S. security. In the area of exports, these significant geopolitical changes suggest that the U.S. control regime that in the past was primarily list-based must shift to a mix of list-based controls and controls that target specific end-uses and end-users of concern. BIS also should be creative in thinking about how new technologies can be utilized in designing better export controls and enforcing controls more effectively.

BIS strives to work cooperatively with state and local government officials, first responders, and federal executive departments and agencies, including the National Security Council, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Justice, and the Intelligence Community. BIS consults with its oversight committees, (the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee) and other appropriate Members of Congress and congressional staff on matters of mutual interest.