The Senate on April 3 defeated legislation by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., aimed at blocking $8.8 billion in arms transfers to Israel (see 2503280049). The two joint resolutions of disapproval received votes of 15-82 and 15-83. The Senate rejected three similar measures in November (see 2411210022).
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., reintroduced a bill April 3 to ban exports of liquefied natural gas and crude oil to China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Merkley said such exports could boost energy prices for Americans while helping foreign "adversaries." The Protecting American Households from Rising Energy Costs Act, which has two co-sponsors, was referred to the Senate Banking Committee. The bill didn't advance in the last Congress (see 2403010077).
Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., reintroduced a bill March 31 that would require the administration to develop a strategy to block China and other “foreign adversaries” from buying goods and technologies to build, maintain or operate undersea cables.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., reintroduced a bill April 3 to sanction Haitian political and economic elites involved in criminal activity.
Reps. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C., reintroduced a sanctions bill April 3 aimed at curbing North Korea’s support for Russia’s war machine.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s new task force on improving how the government handles foreign military sales (FMS) and export controls (see 2501220086 and 2502260047) held its first formal meeting April 2.
Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., reintroduced a bill March 31 aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining U.S. and allied technology that could be used to make unmanned aircraft.
The Trump administration is extending for the second time the deadline China’s ByteDance faces to comply with a 2024 law that requires the company to divest TikTok or face a U.S. ban on the social media application, President Donald Trump announced April 4.
Japan last week announced new export controls on semiconductor-related items and other sensitive technologies, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry notice. The items will need export licenses when destined to certain countries “if there is a risk that they will be used for the development of conventional weapons, etc.,” Japan said. Exemptions will apply for certain exports of goods involving “allied nations' forces for joint training” activities.
The White House last week released a summary of the April 1 reports it received from U.S. agencies on President Donald Trump’s America-first trade policy agenda (see 2501210023). The summary includes brief mentions of export controls and investment restrictions.