In her first public remarks since joining the Bureau of Industry and Security, Thea Kendler said BIS has been constantly looking for new emerging technologies that should be subject to controls and is close to publishing its first foundational technology rule. Kendler, who was confirmed last month as assistant secretary for export administration, also said she plans to prioritize multilateral export controls that protect American technology from China’s military and wants to work closely with industry so those controls don’t harm U.S. competitiveness.
As the U.S. and the European Union both prepare their own set of Russian sanctions and export controls, a senior U.S. official said the measures may not be identical but will align very closely to avoid hurting the competitiveness of U.S. firms. Peter Harrell, a National Security Council official, also said the trade restrictions won’t amount to an embargo against “everyday” Russian consumers, and will likely include exemptions and a wind-down period.
The House’s America Competes Act of 2022 would revise and introduce a range of new export control and sanctions provisions, including new restrictions on exports of electronic waste-related goods, more designations targeting China for human rights abuses and a repeal of the sunset of the Magnitsky human rights sanctions regime. The bill, unveiled this week as the response to the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, would also require the Biden administration to conduct “periodic” reviews over its export controls for surveillance equipment, urges the administration to reexamine U.S. export policies for countries that supply weapons to terrorist organizations and calls for better harmonization of U.S. export control and sanctions policies with allies.
The Biden administration this week previewed its plan to impose a “massive” set of export controls and sanctions on the Russian economy if the country further invades Ukraine, including measures to cut off Russian companies from both U.S. and foreign-produced technology inputs. The export restrictions could include an expansion of the Commerce Department’s foreign direct product rule, officials said, and would specifically target several of Russia’s “key” technology sectors, including its defense, aerospace, quantum computing and artificial intelligence industries.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced Jan. 21 by email. The ports originally planned to begin imposing the fee Nov. 15, but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until Jan. 28.
The U.S. and the European Union should better align their export license exceptions, export controls and policies to avoid “unnecessary friction on trade” between the two sides, particularly surrounding chip equipment, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. The group said American semiconductor companies depend on overseas markets in Europe, and regulatory harmonization could help to “level playing fields with respect to export controls, particularly their scope, application, and enforcement.”
The U.S. this week imposed new sanctions against Russia for its “destabilizing” activities in Ukraine and privately previewed a harsher set of potential trade restrictions, including major new export controls on chip equipment. Although it remains unclear if those specific export restrictions would be coordinated with allies, the U.S., Germany and the U.K. all said Jan. 20 that they are ready to impose “massive consequences and severe economic costs” on Russia if it continues down a path to war.
The threat of a California port surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers has proved very successful at clearing cargo off docks, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said during a Jan. 19 House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. He said the fee threat has substantially helped trade flows at both Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, which announced the charge in October but has postponed enforcing it each month since (see 2201140055). “That fee has never been implemented and we've not collected a dime, but incredible progress has been made to move cargo off our docks,” Seroka said.
The U.S. and the European Union should use the Trade and Technology Council to address a host of export control harmonization issues to help ease export compliance challenges for American and European companies, the Information Technology Industry Council said. ITI -- which represents many of the world’s largest technology companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google and Intel -- said an increasing number of export regulations and restrictions are placing too heavy a burden on industry and could impede global innovation.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports again postponed a new surcharge meant to incentivize the movement of dwelling containers (see 2110280031), the two ports announced Jan. 14. The ports originally planned to begin imposing the fee Nov. 15, but have postponed it each week since. The latest extension delays the effective date until Jan. 21.