BIS Plans First Emerging Technology Committee Meeting in Spring

A Commerce Department agency plans the first meeting of its Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee this spring, amid delays issuing prospective members security clearances. A Bureau of Industry and Security spokesperson emailed that the agency remains “on target” to have the meeting before summer. Commerce officials originally scheduled the meeting for December, and then January, delaying it each time. ETTAC applicants are impatient, and trade lawyers have heard little information, they said in interviews last week. Adrienne Braumiller, a trade lawyer with Braumiller Law Group and member of BIS’ Regulations and Procedures TAC, has “no clear understanding” of why the process has taken so long, calling it “rather protracted and lengthy.” Doug Jacobson of Jacobson Burton heard about “numerous delays in the process” but hasn't heard why. ETTAC’s “primary focus” will be to identify emerging technologies with dual-use applications, says its charter. Those efforts will inform Commerce restricting sales of emerging technologies, which faced delays (see 1911070026). Commerce has released two sets of controls on emerging technologies without ETTAC input.