The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is a US Department of Commerce agency dealing with national security and high technology issues. The bureau's primary goal is to reduce and stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Its mission is to improve the national security, foreign policy, and economic interests of the United States.

Apart from national security, the BIS's job is to protect the functioning of the US economy and the position of the USA industry. The BIS promotes an industry that can develop technologies that will enable the United States to maintain its military superiority.

The fields of activity of BIS are:

  • Regulating the export of dual-use technologies,
  • Export controls,
  • Enforcement of public safety laws,
  • Cooperation in strategic trade,
  • Ensuring compliance with arms control agreements in the industry,
  • Monitoring and improving the US Defense industry,
  • Support to protect the country's critical infrastructures.


Also, the export of goods on the Commerce Control List (CCL), such as products containing encryption software, requires permission from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).


BIS Collaborations

Due to the mission of the BIs, it may be necessary to work in partnership with some private sectors. These collaborations are also very important and special, as trust is such an important issue in the USA industry. Some of the private sectors cooperated with are:


  • Private aviation industry manufacturers,
  • microprocessors,
  • Defense industry,
  • High-tech industry

Some of the important works for BIS are international collaborations. Many efforts to protect dangerous goods and risky trades require cooperation as they are located in places such as international hubs. Effective enforcement is greatly enhanced in an effort to align USA laws with those of our major trading partners. The most important aim of international cooperation is not reconciliation. Instead of "meeting on the smallest common denominator" in the agreements and studies, it is a priority to protect the US's own principles. Since compromising these principles will endanger the security of the country, reconciliation is put in the background.



BIS Organization

The BIS organization is run by the following boards:


  • Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce responsible for Industry and Security
  • Deputy Minister of Trade for Export Management
  • Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Supervision
  • Office of Non-proliferation and Treaty Harmonization
  • Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security
  • Exporter Services Office
  • Technology Evaluation Office
  • Export Applications Office
  • Application Analysis Office
  • Anti-boycott Compliance Office

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