President Donald Trump has ordered the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to carry out a 45-day review of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp.’s proposal to purchase U.S. Steel, months after former President Joe Biden blocked the deal (see 2501060040).
Michael Pender, a longtime senior engineer with the Bureau of Industry and Security, is retiring from government April 30, he announced on LinkedIn. He works in the Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls, where he said he helps to review dual-use exports, with a focus on items containing advanced encryption features or related to information security. Pender has worked at BIS for more than two decades.
Switzerland last week announced plans to align certain of its dual-use export restrictions with trading partners as part of the country’s “response to the blockade of multilateral export controls,” a reference to Russia’s vetoing of export control proposals at the multilateral Wassenaar Arrangement (see 2405300063). The changes, effective May 1, will update Swiss controls for emerging technologies related to quantum computing, advanced semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing.
China retaliated against President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs with duties of 34% on all U.S. goods, along with new export restrictions on U.S. companies and rare earth metals.
A recent rise in tariffs, export controls and other trade actions will lead to rising prices in semiconductor supply chains, said Sree Ramaswamy, former senior adviser to former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
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.