# Commerce Department’s AI export program draws just 78 applications, far below expectations > Source: > Published: 2026-07-11 15:31:42+00:00 # Commerce Department’s AI export program draws just 78 applications, far below expectations The American AI Exports Program was supposed to flood global markets with US technology. The industry didn't exactly rush to sign up. The Trump administration launched the American AI Exports Program with a straightforward enough ambition: make US artificial intelligence the world’s default technology. The results from the first application round suggest the ambition may have outpaced the execution. The Commerce Department received just 78 applications when the program’s first call for proposals closed, according to reporting from Politico citing three former department officials. Internal expectations had been for hundreds of applications. ## What the program actually does The American AI Exports Program was created by Executive Order on July 23, 2025, under President Trump. The formal application window opened April 1, 2026, and ran for 90 days before closing. Selected companies, organized into consortia, would receive expedited export licensing through the Bureau of Industry and Security, preferential access to federal financing through institutions like the Export-Import Bank, and coordinated government advocacy in foreign markets. Applicants had to offer full-stack AI packages, meaning hardware, data pipelines, foundational models, cybersecurity layers, and sector-specific applications bundled together. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is leading interagency reviews and consultations on the applications received. No specific companies or consortia have been publicly identified among the 78 applicants. ## Why 78 is a problem The shortfall raises a few distinct questions. First, coordination: building a qualifying consortium requires multiple companies to align on a single proposal, covering hardware, software, and services simultaneously. Second, perceived value. The expedited export licensing benefit is real, but it is also contingent on clearing interagency review. For large technology companies that already have dedicated government affairs teams and existing export license relationships with BIS, the program may not offer enough incremental advantage to justify the compliance overhead of a formal application. Third, timing. The program launched under an executive order in mid-2025 and opened for applications in April 2026. That is a long runway between announcement and action. The ITA announced the application count on July 6, 2026. Interagency reviews are now underway, and the first round of selected consortia has not yet been announced. ## What this means for investors and markets The program’s explicit exclusion of crypto and blockchain technologies is worth noting for digital asset market participants. The administration has chosen to draw a clean line between traditional AI infrastructure and decentralized technologies, treating them as separate policy domains. The next visible milestone is the announcement of selected consortia following the interagency review. That announcement will reveal which companies actually committed to the program and what technology stacks they proposed to export. **Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our [Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).