The House voted 243-174 late Sept. 25 to approve a bill that would impose property-blocking sanctions on Chinese Communist Party leaders for committing human rights abuses, harassing Taiwan or undermining Hong Kong's autonomy.
Exports to China
China is launching an “anti-discrimination investigation” on Canada's upcoming tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and steel and aluminum products (see 2409040007), according to an unofficial translation of a Sept. 26 notice from the country’s Ministry of Commerce. The ministry said the investigation could result in “corresponding measures” against Canada, though it didn’t give details. Beijing is accepting public comments for 30 days and is expecting to complete the investigation within three months.
Export controls on American technology are helping the U.S. maintain its technological lead over foreign competitors, and the Biden administration plans to follow that blueprint for restrictions around quantum technologies, said Don Graves, deputy secretary of the Commerce Department.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on Sept. 24 suspended the export privileges of 11 people after they were convicted of export-related offenses, including illegal shipments involving oil to China, industrial equipment to Russia and the smuggling of guns and ammunition. The suspensions took effect from the date of their convictions.
The EU officially filed dispute consultation requests at the World Trade Organization on Sept. 25 regarding China's decision to open an investigation on certain dairy products from the EU. The European Commission announced the move earlier this week, saying the probe marks a pattern of China opening trade defense measures "based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence" (see 2409230014).
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., urged the Defense Department this week to add two leading Chinese display providers, BOE Technology Group and Tianma Microelectrics Co., to its Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies, citing their ties to the People’s Liberation Army.
China is investigating American clothing company PVH Group, which owns Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and other major fashion retailers, for possible inclusion on its so-called unreliable entity list, China's Ministry of Commerce announced Sept. 24, according to an unofficial translation. China said PVH is suspected of violating “normal market trading principles” for products related to the country’s Xinjiang region, along with the “interruption of normal transactions with Chinese companies, other organizations or individuals, and adoption of discriminatory measures.”
Members of the European Parliament approved a resolution last week calling on the EU to expand sanctions against Russia, Belarus, and non-EU countries and entities providing Russia with military and dual-use technologies.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has removed multiple companies from a list of flagged foreign suppliers accused of illegal sales to Russia, including one after the company told BIS it was added by mistake, Export Compliance Daily has learned.
Congress should strengthen the “guardrails” around federally funded research collaboration between American universities and Chinese defense-linked universities to ensure China does not obtain technology to improve its military or commit human rights abuses, two House committees said in a new report this week.