Expand Standards-Setting Bodies Exemption, ITI Tells Commerce

The Commerce Department should expand an exemption to allow U.S. companies to participate in standards-setting bodies that have members designated on the Entity List, the Information Technology Industry Council said in a set of recommendations to the Biden administration. If the exemption isn’t expanded, the U.S. will risk ceding further “ground, influence, and leadership to foreign competitors” in international technology standards development, ITI said Thursday. ITI also urged the administration to shift its China trade policy to better pressure the government on important trade issues. “Recent overreliance and expanded use of export controls, tariffs, and policies misdirected at routine technical standards development have hurt U.S. workers, consumers, and companies,” ITI said. “The Administration should amend policies that have not achieved their goals and even impeded U.S. innovation and leadership.”