Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
BIS administers the US dual-use export controls that shape what Israeli industry can sell incorporating US-origin technology — and to whom. For Israeli defense and dual-use manufacturers, BIS rules drive product configuration, supplier sourcing, and export-market access decisions every day.
| Type | US federal agency |
| Founded | 1987 (as Bureau of Export Administration; renamed BIS in 2002) |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC, United States |
| Parent | US Department of Commerce |
| Under Secretary for Industry and Security | (Position confirmed by Senate; varies by administration) |
| Mandate | Administration of US dual-use export controls under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) |
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is the US federal agency within the Department of Commerce responsible for administering US dual-use export controls under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The bureau runs the licensing framework for US-origin commercial dual-use exports, maintains the Commerce Control List (CCL) defining controlled items by Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), administers restricted-party lists (the Entity List and adjacent lists), and runs the broader regulatory framework for US dual-use technology trade.
BIS jurisdiction covers commercial items, software, and technology with both civilian and military applications — distinguishing the bureau's scope from the parallel ITAR framework run by the US State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) for defense articles on the US Munitions List. The de minimis threshold under EAR (generally 25%, with reductions for embargoed and certain restricted destinations) determines when foreign-made items containing US-origin content fall under EAR jurisdiction.
For Strategic Technology Trade coverage in The Olam, BIS is the principal US regulatory counterparty for Israeli industry on dual-use technology trade. Israeli systems containing US-origin dual-use technology above the de minimis threshold require BIS authorization for re-export to third parties. The arrangement shapes Israeli system design, supplier sourcing, and export-market access — Israeli manufacturers frequently run dual product configurations to manage BIS exposure across different market positions.
The Foreign Direct Product Rule, administered by BIS, extends US export-control jurisdiction over certain foreign-made products produced using US-origin technology or software — particularly relevant for Israeli industry in semiconductor and advanced technology categories.
Read Next in The Olam
- The US Export-Control Regime and Israeli Dual-Use Technology — Deep-dive spoke
- Strategic Technology Trade — Pillar
- EAR
- De minimis threshold
- Foreign Direct Product Rule
Sources
US Bureau of Industry and Security; Export Administration Regulations; US Department of Commerce; published trade-compliance commentary. Data current as of Q2 2026.