Senate Panel Seeks Report on Harmonizing Russia Export Controls
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s newly released report on the FY 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill (see 2507170053 and 2507100053) calls for the Bureau of Industry and Security to take several actions to inform lawmakers, including writing a report on international efforts to harmonize export controls on items that could aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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To curb a key revenue source for Moscow's war machine, the committee wants BIS to study the feasibility of banning exports of vessels and parts that Russia could use to transport oil, petroleum or liquefied natural gas. “The report shall detail the extent of direct or indirect export, re-export, or in-country transfer of any vessels built or retrofitted to transport oil, petroleum, or liquid natural gas to Russian persons and proxies of Russia, including components or parts necessary to build or maintain such vessels,” the panel wrote.
Concerned that Chinese regulators require U.S. companies to provide proprietary information to receive approval of gene-edited crops, the committee wants BIS to develop and give lawmakers a plan to counter the “forced export" of sensitive U.S. technology. "Scientific breakthroughs in ag-biotech are a critical area of technological competition between the United States and China when it comes to future food security," the panel noted.
The committee also seeks a briefing on whether Biden administration export controls on certain biotechnology devices give Chinese companies an advantage over their U.S. competitors (see 2501150020).
The committee said it’s also concerned that Chinese lidar companies enable autonomous vehicles for the Chinese military, as well as police and prison surveillance measures in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It asks BIS to report on whether these firms should be added to the agency’s Entity List.
On firearms exports, the committee wants a briefing on the economic and national security impact of a Biden administration interim final rule that increased restrictions in this area. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month that the Commerce Department is reviewing the rule, which is "inconsistent" with the Trump administration's view (see 2505290012 and 2506050050).
Turning to efforts to replace the Biden administration's recently rescinded AI diffusion export control rule, which was criticized as overly complex (see 2505070039), the committee urges BIS to "balance commercial interest with national security," as maintaining U.S. leadership "requires a continued competitive presence promoting adoption of U.S. innovations abroad."