Warner, Rubio File ZTE Enforcement Review and Oversight Act

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., led a Tuesday filing of the ZTE Enforcement Review and Oversight (Zero) Act, to enforce the full terms of the Department of Commerce's settlement with the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer that lifted a ban on U.S. companies selling telecom software and equipment to ZTE. The settlement, which took effect in July, included $1.76 billion in fines and other fees and an agreement for ZTE to allow U.S. inspectors to monitor the company's compliance with U.S. export control laws (see 1807130048). Rubio and Warner were among a group of senators who unsuccessfully pushed, including in the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, to restore Commerce's ZTE ban. The final NDAA measure instead included language that bars U.S. agencies from using “risky” technology produced by ZTE or fellow Chinese telecom equipment firm Huawei (see 1808010068). “ZTE has a history of violating U.S. sanctions and misleading the U.S. government,” Warner said in a news release. “Unfortunately this Administration has shown that it cannot be trusted to defend American interests and punish companies like ZTE that pose a threat to our security. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that if ZTE once again violates trade restrictions or its agreement with the U.S. it will be held accountable in a significant, painful way.”