Press Release
☷Remarks by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at the BIS Update Conference
U.S. Department of Commerce ( By Press Release office)
Apr 03,2024
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Hey everyone! I ' m happy to be back here chatting with you all . Big shoutout to the BIS team for organizing this awesome conference . Last time I was here was in 2022 , and who would have thought Russia ' s war against Ukraine would still be going on two years later? Props to the Ukrainian people and their leaders for their strength and to all the countries and industries supporting them . The Department of Commerce is standing with Ukraine and we ' re fully committed to helping them through this tough time . BIS is playing a crucial role in our national security efforts , and their workload has increased significantly as a result . They ' re tackling more complex challenges at a faster pace than ever before . Our global environment has seen some major shocks recently , like the pandemic and Russia ' s aggression . We ' re also in a time of strategic competition and interdependence , with countries like China having the power to reshape the international order . This , coupled with rapid technological advancements and challenges to global governance , presents a complex situation for us to navigate . So , basically , China and the US rely on each other economically and have a common interest in dealing with issues like climate change . The Department of Commerce plays a crucial role in this relationship , especially when it comes to national security . One of our main priorities is ensuring the protection of critical and emerging technologies from being misused by our adversaries . We are constantly updating our export controls to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change and collaborating with other countries to strengthen these measures . It ' s a never - ending challenge to stay ahead in the innovation game and protect our national security interests . Another important thing we ' re focused on when it comes to national security is countering traditional military threats . It ' s not just about new technology - the Commerce Department plays a big role too . For example , we ' ve been supporting arms control and efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear , chemical , and biological weapons . It may not always make headlines , but it ' s really important work . Let ' s talk about Russia ' s illegal war in Ukraine as an example of what we ' re doing to counter these traditional threats . When other countries use military force that threatens our friends , values , and security , we ' re there to step up . In the past couple of years , we ' ve taken some major actions against Russia . We ' ve stopped trading certain goods with them , using special codes to keep track of what we ' re controlling . We ' ve also put restrictions on hundreds of foreign companies that support Russia ' s defense industry , and we ' re working with other countries to stop them from shipping controlled items to Russia . We ' re even coordinating with other agencies like Justice , Treasury , and Homeland Security to make sure our enforcement policies are strong . We ' ve accomplished a lot , and we ' re not stopping until Russia ' s illegal war is over . And we ' re not just stopping there - we ' re taking what we ' ve learned from this conflict and using it to protect the global order in the future . Last time I spoke here , the conference was all about working together on a global scale . This year ' s theme of "Partnerships in National and Global Security" is pushing us to focus on better coordination within our organization , engage more with industry , and recognize the importance of working together with other countries . Our work wouldn ' t be possible without our partners in different agencies , and it shows that we need collaboration between the government and private sector . Last year , I led a cybersecurity mission to Korea and Japan , where I saw firsthand how crucial the U . S . private sector is for global security . We need their resources and expertise to protect the world ' s economic order from threats and help it grow . We ' re excited to keep developing our National Security Strategy to keep our country safe and look forward to getting more involved in this important work . The Bureau of Industry and Security , led by Don Graves , is focusing on export controls , national security , artificial intelligence , and climate change .
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