President Trump announced July 23 a broad action plan on artificial intelligence that envisions the expansion of AI technology exports to allies and partners as well as stricter export controls on adversaries.
Expanding Exports
A new executive order directs the Department of Commerce to establish and implement within 90 days a program to support the development and deployment of U.S. full-stack AI export packages (which include hardware, models, software, applications, and standards). The DOC will issue a public call for proposals from industry-led consortia for inclusion in this program, with each proposal required to identify specific target countries or regional blocs for export engagement; comply with all relevant U.S. export control regimes, outbound investment regulations, and end-user policies; and provide other specific information.
The DOC will work with other agencies to evaluate submitted proposals. Those selected for inclusion in the program will be designated as priority AI export packages and will be supported through priority access to federal financing tools.
Separately, the State Department will be responsible for (1) developing and executing a unified federal strategy to promote the export of U.S. AI technologies and standards, (2) aligning technical, financial, and diplomatic resources to accelerate deployment of priority AI export packages under the program, (3) coordinating U.S. participation in multilateral initiatives and country-specific partnerships for AI deployment and export promotion, (4) supporting partner countries in fostering pro‑innovation regulatory, data, and infrastructure environments conducive to the deployment of U.S. AI systems, (5) analyzing market access, including technical barriers to trade and regulatory measures that may impede the competitiveness of U.S. offerings, and (6) coordinating with the Small Business Administration to facilitate investment in U.S. small businesses for the development of AI technologies and the manufacture of AI infrastructure, hardware, and systems.
Strengthening Export Controls
The plan calls for “creative approaches” to enforcing controls on exports of AI technologies to foreign adversaries. Recommended measures include the following.
- leveraging new and existing location verification features on advanced AI compute to ensure that chips are not in countries of concern
- monitoring emerging technology developments to ensure full coverage of possible countries or regions where chips are being diverted (which could then be used to expand and increase end-use monitoring in countries where there is a high risk of diversion)
- developing new export controls on semiconductor manufacturing subsystems (not just major systems, as is currently the case)
- encouraging partners and allies to adopt complementary AI protection systems and export controls
- using tools such as the foreign direct product rule and secondary tariffs to achieve greater international alignment and ensure that allies do not supply adversaries with technologies on which the U.S. is seeking to impose export controls
Copyright © 2026 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.