Trump-Era Export Controls Hurt US Firms, Survey Finds

A flash survey conducted by the US-China Business Council (USCBC) in July indicates that the Trump administration’s export-control licensing regime is delivering little strategic benefit while imposing substantial economic costs. It adds that the majority of pending licences concern items already obtainable in China from Chinese or international suppliers, effectively sidelining American companies without enhancing national security.

South China Morning Post

The export-control framework was expanded during the Trump presidency to restrict the flow of advanced technologies to China. While intended to protect national security, the regime requires firms to obtain licences that can take months to process. Critics argue that the breadth of the controls exceeds the narrow security objectives for which they were designed, creating compliance burdens that outweigh any perceived strategic gain.

South China Morning Post

USCBC’s survey highlights two key economic impacts. First, the prolonged licensing timeline is linked to “billions of dollars” in lost export revenue, according to the council’s analysis. Second, the inability to compete for products already supplied by Chinese or third-party sources is eroding U.S. market share in multiple high-tech sectors, diminishing the global competitiveness of American firms.

South China Morning Post

Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, emphasized that “export controls are important, but if they are not calibrated, then they have the reverse effect,” arguing that the current approach undermines U.S. competitiveness and technological leadership while failing to protect national security.

South China Morning Post

• “Export controls are important, but if they are not calibrated, then they have the reverse effect,” — Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council

South China Morning Post