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Understanding US Allies' Legal Authority on Export Controls
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4/5
High(4)High quality. Established institution or organization with editorial oversight and accountability.
Rating inherited from publication venue: CSIS
Relevant to AI governance discussions around compute controls; provides policy-focused legal analysis of how US allies can restrict semiconductor and AI exports, complementing US-led efforts to limit advanced AI diffusion to adversaries.
Metadata
Importance: 52/100policy briefanalysis
Summary
This CSIS analysis examines the existing legal frameworks that US allies possess to implement export controls on AI technologies and semiconductors, assessing how allied nations can coordinate with US restrictions without requiring new legislation. It evaluates the current authorities in key partner countries and identifies gaps or opportunities for multilateral alignment on technology export policy.
Key Points
- •Surveys the legal export control authorities of key US allies relevant to AI chips and semiconductor technologies.
- •Assesses whether allied nations can act on export restrictions using existing laws or require new legislative action.
- •Highlights the importance of multilateral coordination to prevent circumvention of US unilateral export controls.
- •Identifies strategic opportunities and gaps in allied legal frameworks for harmonizing technology export policy.
- •Relevant to ongoing efforts to limit adversary access to advanced AI compute infrastructure.
Cited by 2 pages
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Timing Windows | Analysis | 72.0 |
| Governance-Focused Worldview | Concept | 67.0 |
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# Understanding U.S. Allies’ Current Legal Authority to Implement AI and Semiconductor Export Controls
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[Report](https://www.csis.org/taxonomy/term/3013)
by [Gregory C. Allen](https://www.csis.org/people/gregory-c-allen)and
Isaac Goldston
Published March 14, 2025
### Available Downloads
- [Download the Full Report1889kb](https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2025-03/250314_Allen_AI_Controls.pdf?VersionId=tEDXBBOHSccmcS0c7FM0s.E5184mrvqY)
## Executive Summary
Since October 2022, the United States has devoted significant resources to restricting China’s access to artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced semiconductor technologies. In the final months of the Biden administration, the Department of Commerce issued four additional far-reaching export control updates. On December 2, 2024, it released [two rules](https://www.csis.org/analysis/understanding-biden-administrations-updated-export-controls) that added 140 companies to the Entity List, expanded the scope of the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), and restricted new technology areas such as high-bandwidth memory, among other measures. In the second week of January 2025, the Department of Commerce issued the [AI Diffusion Framework](https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA3776-1.html) and the [Foundry Due Diligence Rule](https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-strengthens-restrictions-advanced-computing-semiconductors-enhance-foundry), further shaping the spread of AI and semiconductor technologies throughout the world. Export controls remain front and center for the second Trump administration, which [directed](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/america-first-trade-policy/) an effort to “identify and eliminate loopholes
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