The U.S. and the EU should launch a new “ambitious agenda” to address trade and technology challenges posed by China, including streamlining the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council and building on sanctions and export controls, the Center for European Policy Analysis said this month.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, with ranking member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced Jan. 28 that it has appointed the following subcommittee leaders for the new 119th Congress:
The Senate Appropriations Committee announced Jan. 29 that it has appointed Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., as chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee in the new 119th Congress.
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., reintroduced a bill Jan. 28 that would authorize the administration to sanction Chinese chemical companies and government officials who don't do appropriate compliance and oversight to prevent their chemicals from being sold to narcotraffickers. The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act was referred to the House Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Oversight and Government Reform, and Judiciary committees. Barr previously introduced the bill in May 2023 (see 2305230020), and the House of Representatives passed it in July 2023.
The Census Bureau added five new license codes in the Automated Export System to reflect the Bureau of Industry and Security's recent export controls on advanced computing chips (see 2501130026), Census said in emails to industry this week.
Companies should expect new export controls from both the U.S. and China to “remain frequent and volatile,” especially around advanced technologies and critical minerals, Eversheds Sutherland said in a client alert this month. The firm pointed to U.S. controls on certain chip equipment in December (see 2412020016) followed by China’s response, which included new export restrictions on certain key critical minerals and other dual-use items being shipped to the U.S. for military uses (see 2412030022).
The new artificial intelligence export control framework introduced by the U.S. earlier this month could create diplomatic issues with Europe and force some European nations to diversify away from U.S. chips, a former U.S. official and a European policy researcher said this week.
The U.S. should prevent China from obtaining American technology it can use to advance its artificial intelligence capabilities, Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick said Jan. 29.
Patrick Dierfield, a former senior sanctions compliance manager with cryptocurrency exchange Okcoin, is joining the Office of Foreign Assets Control as a sanctions regulations adviser, he announced on LinkedIn. Dierfield joined OFAC this month.
Panama appealed a World Trade Organization dispute ruling on its restrictions covering strawberries, pineapples, bananas, plantains and dairy and meat products from Costa Rica "into the void," effectively ending the dispute due to the lack of a functioning Appellate Body. Panama told the Dispute Settlement Body of its decision to appeal the ruling during its Jan. 24 meeting. Last month, a dispute panel said Panama's phytosanitary restrictions violated the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and were "more trade-restrictive than required to achieve Panama's" appropriate level of protection, given that alternatives proposed by Costa Rica were "reasonably available," achieved the appropriate protection level and were less trade-restrictive (see 2412050051).