Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., reintroduced a bill March 5 that would authorize sanctions on the Yemen-based Houthis for human rights abuses, including unlawful killing, torture, prolonged and arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, hostage-taking of U.S. nationals abroad, use of child soldiers and gender-based discrimination.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill March 5 to prevent a U.S. president from blocking crude oil exports without an economic security or national security reason. The Continuing Robust and Unhibited Drilling and Exporting (CRUDE) Act was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill March 6 that would eliminate a requirement that the Energy Department authorize liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, leaving the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the sole authority for the approval process.

The House Financial Services Committee unanimously approved several bills March 5 dealing with foreign investment and sanctions.

The U.K. on March 7 removed Russian bank Rosbank PJSC and Turkish energy firm Active Denizcilik Ve Gemi Isletmeciligi Anonim Sirketi from its Russia sanctions list. Rosbank was sanctioned in 2023 for operating in Russia’s financial services sector, and Active Denizcilik was sanctioned last year for doing business in Russia’s energy sector. The U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation didn’t give a reason for their removals.

British and Japanese ministers last week discussed export controls on critical technologies, supply chain issues, the World Trade Organization and other trade topics during the second U.K.-Japan Strategic Economic Policy and Trade Dialogue.

The U.S. should take more steps to slash export barriers hindering defense trade with close allies, especially Australia, industry officials and a researcher said last week.

The U.S. needs stronger restrictions on the types of advanced technology research that can be shared with academic institutions and other entities from China, lawmakers and witnesses said during a congressional hearing last week, including by possibly extending export controls to cover fundamental research. Others said the U.S. should be careful about cutting off too much collaboration with China, which would disregard the strides universities have recently made to better protect sensitive research.

President Donald Trump last week threatened to increase sanctions against Russia if it doesn't agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and a peace deal. His comments came one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also threatened more sanctions against Moscow, including its energy sector.

China’s Ministry of Commerce on March 4 launched an “anti-circumvention investigation” to examine whether American companies are evading Chinese antidumping duties on certain imported optical fiber products from the U.S., according to an unofficial translation of a ministry notice. The investigation, which will last for six months, follows a February complaint made by Changfei Optical Fiber and Cable Co., which said U.S. firms are avoiding duties on “wavelength-shifted single-mode optical fibers.”