The bureaucratic machinery for approving exports in the United States is in a state of almost total paralysis. Under the current administration of President Donald Trump, thousands of applications to sell American technology and products abroad, including such crucial components as advanced chips for artificial intelligence, are gathering dust at the federal agency responsible for this. The situation, described by internal and private sector sources as the biggest bottleneck in three decades, has plunged the industry into deep uncertainty.
Administrative confusion and inaction, under the direct supervision of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have created internal chaos. The agency has restricted its communications with companies, reassigned expert staff, and suffered a drain on key talent due to attrition and resignation. Added to this is the failure to deliver on a promise to publish new regulations that would clarify the process, leaving companies in a regulatory limbo.
The most noticeable impact is felt in the artificial intelligence sector. Nvidia, one of the worst-hit tech giants, has expressed its dismay. The company revealed that "The government had informed us that we would receive licenses to export our H20O chips to China and we expected to begin deliveries soon."However, these authorizations have not arrived, jeopardizing orders worth billions of dollars and threatening the leadership of the North American industry.
The seriousness of the matter is acknowledged within the administration itself. An official has confirmed that "The backlog of license applications is the longest in more than three decades." and that "The confusion and inaction within the agency responsible for approving them has alarmed both those who advocate for more restrictions and exporting companies.".
In the face of criticism, the Department of Commerce defends its management. It maintains that the Office of Industry and Security (BIS) "It will no longer automatically approve license applications that raise serious national security concerns." and states that its objective is to promote "President Trump's agenda through strict rules and aggressive enforcement".
Meanwhile, frustration among exporting companies and their international partners continues to grow. "We are seeing entire sectors where there is no movement or indication of whether or when licenses will be issued.", regrets Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, who warns: "The longer the process takes, the more market share we will lose."This perception is shared by experts such as Jim Anzalone, president of Compliance Assurance, who points out that "There is nothing official about what the policy is or when the backlog will be cleared.".
The impact of these unilateral decisions transcends US borders and directly affects its trading partners. Currently, the most affected Spanish company is RepsolThe energy company has received a communication from the Trump Administration notifying the cancellation of its permits to export crude oil and derivatives from VenezuelaThese licenses, which had been granted by the previous administration, have been revoked, which is a major blow to the multinational. The measure not only impacts the revenue that Repsol generates in the North American market, which represents around 4% of the total, but also compromises its Financial exposure in the Venezuelan market, valued at 504 million euros.
Given this uncertain global landscape, where some licenses for allied countries continue to be approved, but with no predictability, the business community urgently calls on the U.S. government to restore a transparent and stable system so as not to lose any further ground in the competitive international market.
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