Overview

• The bureau’s inventory of export license requests has swelled to its largest size in over 30 years, reflecting a severe slowdown in processing.
• Nvidia’s H2O AI chip shipments to China remain unapproved, putting billions of dollars in orders at risk.
• Officials blame Undersecretary Jeffrey Kessler’s tightened communication rules and stalled policy updates for delays across the licensing process.
• Key export control roles remain unfilled and senior career staff have resigned or retired, including the acting director of export enforcement.
• Industry groups warn that stalled approvals for semiconductor manufacturing equipment could weaken American technology firms’ global competitiveness.