US export controls achieving no strategic gain but hurting American firms, survey finds
The Trump administration’s export-control licensing regime is achieving little strategic benefit while costing the United States billions of dollars in lost exports and undermining American companies’ global market share, according to a new business survey. “Months-long licensing delays are costing the United States billions of dollars in exports and eroding American market share globally,” the…
A recent survey conducted by the US-China Business Council reveals that the Trump administration's export-control licensing regime is failing to achieve strategic benefits while severely impacting American firms through substantial losses in exports and reduced global market share. Months-long licensing delays are costing the US billions of dollars in exports and weakening American market presence worldwide, according to the survey conducted in July.
The majority of pending export licenses are for items readily available from Chinese or international suppliers, effectively sidelining American companies without providing any strategic gain, says the US-China Business Council, a non-profit association of around 270 American companies that operate in China. The survey covered 31 companies in the technology, industrial, manufacturing, energy, and healthcare sectors.
As tensions over trade and technology continue to strain economic relations between the US and China, the retaliatory measures have increased uncertainty and complicated efforts to stabilize bilateral economic ties. The prolonged delays are attributed to numerous challenges, with 95% of companies citing lengthy license reviews as their primary obstacle.
Furthermore, 71% of respondents reported delays in obtaining licenses to export goods to China, with 31% experiencing pending applications for one to two years, surpassing the US Commerce Department's statutory 90-day processing requirement. The delays are eroding confidence in export control agencies, with only 30% of respondents believing the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security follows established procedures and timelines appropriately.
The Bureau of Industry and Security noted that processing times for export license applications increased from 62 days in 2023 to 2025. Over 80% of surveyed companies reported pending license applications for items with comparable alternatives available from Chinese and international suppliers, stating that the delays have resulted in lost sales and market share to Chinese and international competitors.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
