Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., warned Nvidia and other U.S. chip firms last week that they will face penalties if they send advanced AI chips to China.

Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and David McCormick, R-Pa., have introduced a bill that would require the executive branch to develop a strategy to counter deepening cooperation among U.S. "adversaries" in such areas as sanctions evasion and the sharing of restricted dual-use technology, the lawmakers announced May 27.

DOJ should investigate Chinese autonomous-trucking company TuSimple for violating U.S. export controls, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said May 30.

Taiwan is offering to impose more stringent export controls and investment screening measures to prevent “high-risk countries” from obtaining sensitive semiconductors and other critical technologies, the country’s government told the Bureau of Industry and Security.

At least three companies last week disclosed receiving letters from the Bureau of Industry and Security informing them of new license restrictions they must follow for certain exports to China, including two semiconductor design firms and one oil company.

The recent departure of many career employees at the Bureau of Industry and Security and other government agencies hasn’t necessarily translated into less export control and sanctions enforcement activity, lawyers said last week.

Gregory Dunlap, a former special agent in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security's Office of Export Enforcement, has joined Akin as a senior regulatory adviser. Dunlap most recently oversaw export controls and sanctions investigations at BIS and also worked at DOJ for more than eight years, including in the National Security Division.

Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Wesley Hunt, both R-Texas, reintroduced a bill last week aimed at ensuring that courts can't vacate previously authorized permits for liquefied natural gas export projects. The Protect LNG Act was referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce committees. A Senate aide indicated in March that the legislation would be reintroduced (see 2503250003).

Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., a member of the committee, told Nvidia May 28 that they’re concerned the U.S. AI chipmaker’s planned research facility in Shanghai “risks violating the spirit, if not the written word, of U.S. export control regulations.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced a bill May 22 aimed at improving the sharing of advanced defense technology with Australia, Canada and the U.K.