Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE)

Office overview and responsibilities

The Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) is responsible for analyzing the effectiveness of export controls. OTE plays a central role for BIS and the Department of Commerce by analyzing key aspects that are vital to U.S. national and economic security. OTE identifies critical and emerging technologies and assesses the supply chain, foreign availability, and mass market status of those technologies through global import-export supply chain and financial trade data, as well as all-source intelligence analysis. This research supports the design of effective dual-use export controls and their associated regimes, (e.g. Wassenaar, Australia Group) while continuing to promote U.S. trade competitiveness. In addition, OTE oversees the operation of BIS's Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) to ensure industry input on the impact of export controls on key sectors of the U.S. industrial base.

OTE programs

Data Analytics

The Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) analyzes U.S. export data subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), BIS license application data and global trade information to assess data trends and inform export policy decisions. OTE compiles much of its analyses into reports used often by BIS staff. This data portal provides excerpts from these reports in one location.

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Annual Country Analysis Reports

Emerging technology

The Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) identifies critical and emerging technologies and assesses the supply chain, foreign availability, and mass market status of those technologies through global import-export supply chain and financial trade data, as well as all-source intelligence analysis. This research supports the design of effective dual-use export controls and their associated regimes, (e.g. Wassenaar, Australia Group) while continuing to promote U.S. trade competitiveness.

Foreign availability

The Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) analyzes the foreign availability of controlled products and technologies. Following the procedures in Part 768 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), U.S. exporters may submit a claim supported by evidence of foreign availability, which, if assessed and determined positively by the U.S. Department of Commerce, could lead to a revision of existing controls for a commodity or technical data controlled by the EAR.

The Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, (EAA), and Part 768 of the EAR authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct Foreign Availability Assessments to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. Export Controls on certain items that are controlled for national security reasons under the EAR. Foreign availability exists for a national-security controlled item when a non-U.S. origin item of comparable quality is foreign available, and in sufficient quantities, such that the U.S. export controls on that item would be rendered ineffective.

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Technical Advisory Committees (TAC)

One notable facet of OTE's activities is the administration of Technical Advisory Committees (TACs). These committees play a pivotal role in advising the Department of Commerce on technical parameters for export controls related to dual-use commodities and technology. Comprising representatives from both industry and government, TACs ensure a diverse range of perspectives, with industry representatives chosen from firms producing goods, technologies, and software subject to national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation, or short supply controls. This collaborative approach ensures a well-informed and balanced decision-making process regarding export controls that impact a range of critical considerations.

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TAC meeting schedule