“Export controls” by Horizon Institute for Public Service

Home / Policy levers / Export controls Contents ▾ Policy Levers Updated 3rd Jun 2026 39 min read Share Export controls Overview Export controls are regulations that restrict which goods, technologies, and services can be sold or transferred to foreign countries, entities, or individuals. The US government primarily uses export controls to protect national security ---Outline:(00:09) Overview(01:32) Why does the government use export controls?(02:24) Export control basics(03:07) What gets controlled(04:22) How controls work(06:20) Key screening lists(09:44) Controls beyond US borders(11:25) Unilateral and multilateral controls(12:32) Export controls and emerging technology(13:26) The AI compute supply chain and why it matters for export controls(16:36) Major recent developments in AI-related export controls(22:10) Major recent developments in bio-related export controls(24:41) Why (not) work on export controls?(24:46) The case for impact(26:25) The case for professional growth(28:17) Factors limiting the effectiveness of some export controls(31:07) The export controls process: Who's involved?(33:29) Strategy and agenda-setting(34:05) Congress(36:35) White House and coordinating agencies(38:50) External groups(42:57) Regulatory development, license review, and enforcement(43:39) Developing controls(45:38) License review(47:16) Enforcement(49:20) Oversight(51:34) Working on export controls: types of roles and career opportunities(51:59) Preparing for export control work(54:48) Appendices: Brief history of export controls(54:54) Brief history of US export controls(57:43) Further reading(57:49) Notes --- If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests. The original text contained 16 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 10th, 2026 Source: https://emergingtechpolicy.org/policy-levers/export-controls ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.