Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Sanction Huawei, Other 5G Companies
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill March 12 that would sanction Huawei and other companies producing 5G technology if they “engage in economic or industrial espionage,” according to a news release. The bill would place those companies on the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals List, which blocks parties from accessing the U.S. financial system. The House bill was introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and the Senate bill was co-led by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
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The lawmakers said the bill would “level the playing field” for U.S. companies in the 5G sector by limiting the ability of “any company, American or foreign, to transact with Huawei.” It would also promote U.S. technological leadership by allowing participation in international standards-setting bodies. The bill would, however, provide exemptions for transactions involving existing 3G or 4G networks to “minimize disruption to global networks.”