Export 201: Executing Your Global Sales & Go-to-Market Strategy

Navigating Export Uncertainty

Global sales and go-to-market strategies face heightened scrutiny in 2026 as U.S. trade policy under the second Trump administration combines aggressive tariffs with fluctuating export controls, particularly targeting advanced semiconductors and AI technologies.

Recent actions include a January 2026 proclamation imposing 25% tariffs on imports of certain advanced AI chips not integrated into the U.S. supply chain, alongside Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) revisions shifting license reviews for chips like Nvidia's H200 and AMD's MI325X from presumption of denial to case-by-case evaluation under strict security conditions. These moves follow earlier tightenings, such as adding dozens of Chinese entities to restricted lists in 2025, and partial reversals like rescinding aspects of prior AI diffusion frameworks.

The stakes are concrete: companies risk multimillion-dollar penalties for compliance failures, supply chain disruptions from restricted access to critical components, or revenue shortfalls if markets in Asia and elsewhere become inaccessible. Veteran-owned businesses, often smaller enterprises, face amplified challenges in scaling internationally amid these barriers, as non-compliance can bar them from federal contracting advantages or expose them to enforcement.

Non-obvious tensions include the use of export controls as negotiating leverage in U.S.-China talks, leading to abrupt policy shifts that complicate long-term planning. While some loosening aims to maintain U.S. industry revenue (with government shares of proceeds in certain approvals), it creates uneven playing fields where allies gain advantages and adversaries pursue workarounds, potentially eroding U.S. technological edges over time.