Reps. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., and Kathy Castor, D-Fla., introduced a bill Jan. 14 aimed at preventing sales of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China and other "foreign adversaries."
Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Maria Salazar, R-Fla., reintroduced a bill Jan. 14 that would impose economic sanctions on Nicaragua’s government for human rights violations, including the persecution of clergy and political dissidents. The Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act, which the lawmakers previously introduced in the last Congress (see 2401110055), was referred to the House Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill Jan. 14 that would direct the president to impose financial sanctions on foreign government officials who prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and elsewhere.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., introduced a bill Jan. 14 that would add the Interior Department to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review transactions involving land next to sites owned or managed by the agency and help identify potential national security threats to valuable natural resources.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., said Jan. 16 that he would “advise” President Donald Trump against allowing Nvidia to sell H200 AI chips to China.
Although the Trump administration plans to allow Nvidia H200 chips to be exported to China, a White House official stressed last week that those exports will be closely scrutinized and that the U.S. will continue to restrict exports of the most leading-edge American chips and technology. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, also said he doesn’t believe the Bureau of Industry and Security needs any additional authorities from Congress to boost its export control implementation or enforcement powers.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced a bill Jan. 14 that would require entities on the Defense Department’s 1260H List of Chinese military companies to also be included on the Treasury Department’s Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies (NS-CMIC) List to bar them from accessing U.S. capital markets.
Citing economic and national security concerns, a panel of experts called on lawmakers Jan. 14 to overturn the Trump administration’s decision last month to allow Nvidia to export its H200 AI chips to China (see 2512080059).
British companies are still seeing significant post-Brexit trade delays and disruptions when moving goods to and from the EU, including steel products, jets, autos, agricultural goods and more, U.K. industry officials told the country’s Parliament this week. They urged the U.K. government to resolve a range of customs issues with the EU and negotiate carve-outs from upcoming EU tariffs, especially as they said the U.K.’s trade relationship with the U.S. grows more unpredictable.
Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Jan. 14 welcomed the Bureau of Industry and Security’s new license review policy for certain chip exports to China (see 2601130073), saying the agency took a “good step” by requiring companies like Nvidia to prioritize U.S. customers.