Chamber Asks Biden to Freeze Foreign Adversary Rule

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the foreign adversary rule promulgated six days before President Donald Trump left office (see 2101150055) will undermine the economic recovery from the pandemic. The rule provides for Commerce Department review of imports of goods in the telecommunications and information and communications technology and services sectors from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia or Venezuela.

John Drake, the Chamber's executive director for supply chain policy, said in an emailed statement: “The business community is disappointed by the Commerce ICTS Supply Chain [interim final rule] and is urging the Biden Administration to freeze this rule pending a larger review. The previous administration failed to take into account substantive and constructive feedback from the business community and other stakeholders, and the net result is a rule that will ... undercut U.S. competitiveness abroad.”

The White House already directed Commerce to consider delaying the rule's March 22 effective date, as the policy is reviewed, and also asked the department to consider reopening the rule for another round of comments (see 2101210039).