The Trump administration said it has secured, or soon will secure, commitments from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to cooperate on export controls, investment restrictions and other economic-security-related trade measures.

The U.S. has removed its arms embargo on Cambodia because of the country's "diligent pursuit of peace and security," the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls announced Oct. 27.

Most respondents to an Aerospace Industry Association survey on the AUKUS defense trade exemption said they view the change positively, although they believe the scope of the exemption may need to be expanded and the State Department’s Excluded Technology List should be revised. They also said the U.S., Australia and the U.K. should publish clearer guidance on the authorized user enrollment process to address “inconsistencies across the three jurisdictions.”

Chinese companies are likely to end up buying Nvidia chips despite reports that Beijing has ordered its top firms to cease those purchases, said Jake Sullivan, former national security adviser to President Joe Biden.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., has put forth several changes to try to soften opposition to a bill that would require U.S. manufacturers of advanced AI chips to make their products available to American firms before selling them to China and other "countries of concern," a supporter of such restrictions said Oct. 24.

The U.S. should follow up its new Russia energy sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil with more designations in the coming weeks, said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, in a commentary published by the Atlantic Council. To push for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump should “prepare for a monthslong ratcheting up of pressure on Moscow,” Herbst said. “At the moment, all [Russian President Vladimir] Putin sees for sure is another round of sanctions. It must not be the last round.”

A former State Department analyst on export control and sanctions evasion under President Joe Biden and a former National Security Council director for China under President George W. Bush agreed that the Bureau of Industry and Security's 50% rule was not fully thought through before its announcement.

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The Commerce Department this week took its first step to implement a new program aimed at increasing U.S. exports of AI technologies and services, asking industry for feedback on how it should shape the program and how it should ensure that it complies with export controls and other national security regulations.

The Treasury Department on Oct. 22 announced new sanctions against Russia -- including against major energy companies Rosneft and Lukoil -- due to Moscow’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”