Commerce Department
US Cabinet agency administering export controls, trade policy, and national security import reviews.
On 27 June, the Commerce Department partly restored access to Anthropic's frontier models after a 12 June global cut-off, leaving conditional restrictions in place.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Is Commerce's export-control power over Iran sanctions, China chip sales and AI-model access one policy or three?
Timeline for Commerce Department
Mentioned in: CBP caps duty on allied-made drones
Drones: Industry & DefenceMentioned in: Trump taxes drone parts at 100 per cent
Drones: Industry & DefenceMentioned in: Anthropic now outspends Nvidia in Washington
AI: Jobs, Power & MoneyMentioned in: MPs name the UK's sovereignty gap
European Tech SovereigntyUS partly lifts its Anthropic model curb
European Tech SovereigntyBackground
The Commerce Department is a US Cabinet agency that administers export controls, trade policy and national-security import reviews. Its Bureau of Industry and Security uses the Export Administration Regulations and the Entity List to restrict access to controlled US technology.
The department sits between commercial policy and national security. On 29 May, BIS co-ordinated action against an Iranian procurement ring accused of obtaining controlled US equipment for Iran's defence ministry. On 14 May, Commerce also cleared ten Chinese firms to buy Nvidia chips, demonstrating that export control can permit selected trade as well as deny it.
Its authority matters beyond physical goods. The 12 June and 27 June Anthropic orders showed how an export-control tool can affect the availability of deployed software outside the United States.
Commerce curbs model access
On 12 June, the Commerce Department ordered Anthropic to bar foreign nationals from Fable 5 and Mythos 5. Because nationality screening could not work mid-conversation, Anthropic withdrew both models worldwide, showing Commerce applying export-control authority to a live consumer service.
On 27 June, Commerce partly reversed the order after 15 days. The change restored Conditional Access but retained the underlying restriction, leaving the department able to alter overseas access to frontier models at short notice.
Commerce shapes drone import costs
On 28 March, Commerce's Section 232 investigation into drone imports passed its 270-day deadline without a report or tariff. The lapse left importers and domestic manufacturers without the decision they had expected under the national-security inquiry.
On 13 August, President Trump imposed tariffs on drone parts and finished aircraft under Section 232, with the first rates taking effect on 3 September. The sequence put Commerce's import-security work at the centre of a later policy that reshaped component costs and incentives to build US factories.
What is the Bureau of Industry and Security and what does it do?
How did Iran get around US export controls to buy restricted technology?
What is the Commerce Department Entity List?
Did the US impose drone tariffs in 2026?
Why did Commerce clear Chinese firms to buy Nvidia chips in May 2026?
Did the US lift its ban on Anthropic's AI models?
Did the UK Parliament criticise US control over AI model access?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 1 October 2026. Editorial standards.