The Pentagon defended its decision to designate Chinese lidar company Hesai Technology as a Chinese military company, filing a cross-motion for judgment in Hesai's case against its designation at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (see 2412110023). DOD said substantial evidence backs its finding that Hesai is a "military-civil fusion contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base," arguing that Hesai failed to appreciate that the "combined weight" of all the evidence supports the designation (Hesai Technology Co. v. United States, D.D.C. # 24-01381).
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
President Joe Biden is removing Cuba from the State Department's state sponsors of terrorism list, one of several steps his administration is taking to "improve the livelihood of Cubans," the White House announced Jan. 14.
The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the Biden administration late Jan. 10 to reimpose all sanctions lifted on Venezuela since November 2022.
A new Bureau of Industry and Security rule that will place new, worldwide export controls on advanced computing chips and certain closed artificial intelligence model weights was widely panned by the American semiconductor and technology industry this week, even as U.S. officials said the restrictions are necessary to keep American companies ahead of their Chinese competitors.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., reintroduced a bill Jan. 9 that would impose sanctions on Chinese police departments that operate in the U.S. or try to do so. His Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act also would sanction those who monitor or intimidate people in the U.S. on behalf of the Chinese Community Party’s United Front Work Department. The bill was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Cotton previously introduced the legislation in early December, near the end of the 118th Congress (see 2412040035).
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., introduced a bill Jan. 9 to end the arms embargo on Cyprus. The Cyprus Defense Cooperation Act was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged the Commerce Department Jan. 9 to update its regulations to require U.S. biopharmaceutical entities to obtain an export license before working with a Chinese military hospital for clinical trials.
Lawmakers this week reintroduced two Venezuela sanctions bills as the new 119th Congress gears up for business.
In one of its first acts in the 119th Congress, the House of Representatives passed a bill Jan. 9 that would sanction International Criminal Court (ICC) officials for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the war in Gaza (see 2501060025).