Webinars

The BIS 50% / Affiliates Rule: Taking the Critical Next Steps

10/15/25 2 minute read

UPDATE: On October 30, U.S. President Donald Trump and PRC President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year trade truce that, as part of its terms, suspends export controls on technology, rare earth minerals, and semiconductors, and reduces the U.S. fentanyl-related tariff on China by 10%.

The deal’s temporary pause on the application of the BIS 50% Rule on China shows that geopolitical risk and regulatory policy are in a state of constant flux. This webinar was presented on October 28th, 2025. How quickly the regulatory environment has evolved underscores the importance of up-to-date, foundational data on corporate ownership structures, as is highlighted in this webinar. Data is the only way organizations can maintain continuous compliance and operational resilience, given the unpredictable nature of these regulatory shifts.

The long-awaited 50% rule from the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is here. It is now mandatory for exporters to conduct ownership screening on parties to their transactions prior to shipping; name-based checks alone are insufficient. Companies need to reliably identify their product end users’ ultimate owners across an unprecedented range of jurisdictions (including opaque ones), product categories, and trading relationships — and they must do so immediately.

This increased regulatory obligation demands an unparalleled depth of insight into ownership structures. Sayari’s first-to-market BIS 50 solution is already empowering customers to illuminate hidden affiliate relationships and satisfy the rule’s strict liability standard. With more than 9 billion corporate and trade records, our solution automatically identifies the tens of thousands of entities restricted under this new rule.

Watch this webinar on-demand from Sayari and Akin’s Kevin Wolf, Matt Borman, and Eileen Albanese to learn the critical next steps for ensuring compliance using market-leading corporate ownership data and risk insights.

Key Takeaways:

How to move beyond basic name-based screening and expand your program to account for ownership-based controls
How to best utilize limited compliance resources to comply and minimize the risk of penalties
Best practices for managing the rule’s new “red flag” for indeterminate ownership and restrictive license requirements when multiple listed entities are involved
How to navigate the expanded applicability of Foreign Direct Product Rules using technical solutions

Other BIS Affiliates Resources:

Read the report to learn more about the case examples shared in the webinar.

Sayari_BIS50_Report

View the Report

Share This:

Speakers

Kevin Wolf

Partner, Akin

Kevin has more than 30 years’ experience providing advice and counseling regarding the laws, regulations, policies, practices and politics pertaining to export controls, sanctions, national security reviews of foreign direct investments and other international trade issues. He has deep experience that includes civil and criminal defense, internal investigations, due diligence audits and compliance program enhancements, as well as being a Special Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Akin, Kevin served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

Matthew Borman

Senior Counsel, Akin

Matthew led virtually every significant U.S. export control policy program over the past 20 years during his tenure at Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on United States Export control law, strategic trade and technology. In his roles at BIS, he was deeply involved in the development and implementation of export control, nonproliferation and defense industrial base policies, including as the co-chair of export control working groups with the European Commission, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Eileen Albanese

Senior Regulatory Advisor

Eileen served in numerous export control roles at the BIS, including as the Director of the Office of National Security Controls and Director of the Office of Exporter Services, during her more than 35 years of government service. She played a key role in the development of U.S. export control policy and regulations for advanced artificial intelligence chips and semiconductor manufacturing tools. At Akin, Eileen draws on her deep experience developing and implementing U.S. export control regulations and her decades of experience liaising with industry and U.S. allies to assist clients in navigating complex and fast-evolving export control regulations.

Anne Marie Lacourse

Global Advisory

Anne Marie Lacourse has 25+ years of experience helping over 2,000 companies embed international trade compliance into their global supply chains and commercial operations. She has deep experience developing, implementing, and managing cross-border trade platforms, and her extensive knowledge across diverse regulatory schemes has been instrumental in completing nearly 1,000 assessments and audits. She regularly contributes to ACAMS Today and other prestigious publications on topics such as trade-based money laundering and managing global import and export controls.

Phil Kittock

Lead Analytical Content Manager

Phil Kittock is the Lead Analytical Content Manager at Sayari where he leads analytic content production. He previously led analyst teams in the Analytic Services and Solutions departments. Before that, Phil was a Senior Analyst and Program Director at C4ADS, an investigative nonprofit, where he conducted and managed public data investigations into transnational illicit networks.

The BIS 50% / Affiliates Rule: Taking the Critical Next Steps

Read the report to learn more about the case examples shared in the webinar.

Related Resources

Masterclass: Targeting Illicit Fentanyl Networks with Sayari and Fivecast

Sayari Masterclass: Shining a Light on Shadow Fleets

Easing Tariff Impact: Practical Guidance for Surviving Trade Volatility and Responding to Enforcement Shifts