BIS settles with Plexon over unlicensed neural technology exports to Chinese military research academy

WASHINGTON, August 15, 2026 — The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security reached an administrative settlement with Dallas-based Plexon Inc. over eight unlicensed exports of neural recording systems to China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, or AMMS.

BIS said Plexon exported eight OmniPlex neural recording data acquisition systems and accessories, valued at about $178,721, to AMMS through its Asian distributor between February 2022 and August 2023. The items were classified under Export Control Classification Number 4A994.k and required BIS authorization because AMMS was on the Entity List. Plexon did not obtain the required licenses.

AMMS and 11 of its research institutes were added to the Entity List in December 2021 because of their use of biotechnology to support Chinese military end users and activities, including what the U.S. government described as purported brain-control weaponry.

Under the settlement, Plexon admitted to eight violations of the Export Administration Regulations. BIS assessed a $1.7 million civil penalty, but payment will be waived if the company meets the settlement conditions, including completing an external audit of its export compliance program and avoiding further EAR violations during a five-year probationary period.

Plexon must also provide export compliance training to employees and contractors, including company leadership, and certify completion to BIS. Failure to meet the settlement conditions could result in activation of a five-year denial of export privileges.

The action underscores continued BIS scrutiny of exports involving Entity List parties and technologies with potential military or emerging brain-computer interface applications.