Two additional U.S. lawmakers said they are concerned Airbnb lists more than a dozen homes for rent on land owned by a sanctioned paramilitary Chinese entity and asked the company to remove the listings (see 2112070062). Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and James McGovern, D-Mass., the two leaders of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, asked Arbnb to ensure none of its rental homes is located on property owned by U.S.-sanctioned entities and to “remove such listings if they are discovered.”
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released its notifications to Congress of recently proposed export licenses. The 24 notifications, from July through September, feature arms sales to numerous countries, including the U.K., Israel, Australia, Canada, France, South Korea, Spain, Qatar, Italy, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
Sixteen months ago, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cautioned that while the prospect of a free trade agreement with Taiwan was attractive, it could damage trade relations with China (see 2008170045). On a call with reporters Dec. 21, Grasley said he thinks "it would be a good move now to send a signal to China that Taiwan is important being independent of China," and negotiating a free trade deal with the island would do that. Taiwanese voters rejected a referendum that would have restored a ban on imported pork that ingested ractopamine, a feed additive. The earlier ban was a trade irritant for the U.S., as many U.S. pigs are raised with ractopamine. But, Grassley acknowledged, the administration has not been pursuing new free trade deals, or even continuing negotiations that were started during the Trump administration, so he thinks this will not begin soon.
Fourteen pro-trade House Democrats are asking Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to quickly advance discussions on how tariffs on Japanese and British steel and aluminum could be lifted. "[D]ownstream users continue to face astonishingly high prices in steel and aluminum," wrote the group, which is led by Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state.
A group of Senate Republicans are calling for the Commerce Department to add more Chinese companies to the Entity List for aiding the government’s human rights abuses against Muslim minorities. The lawmakers specifically asked the agency to blacklist Vistek Co., Beijing IrisKing Co., IriStar Technology Co., Watrix.ai and Beijing ViSystem Corp. because they supply products and services that help the Chinese government use surveillance technologies against minority groups. “While the U.S. government has made strides towards restricting business with some [People's Republic of China] entities,” the senators said in a Dec. 15 letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, “efforts are still inadequate with respect to PRC research institutions and their affiliates in light of their contributions to the mass weaponization of surveillance functions.” A Commerce spokesperson said the agency plans to respond to the senators. The letter was signed by Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Marco Rubio of Florida, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Todd Young of Indiana, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Cruz of Texas.
Matthew Axelrod, President Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee export enforcement work at the Bureau of Industry and Security, was confirmed by the Senate Dec. 18. Axelrod will become the first Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for export enforcement in more than five years. He recently told Congress he wants to raise the profile of U.S. export enforcement through more deterrence efforts and large penalties (see 2110080045).
Elizabeth Rosenberg, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the Treasury Department, was confirmed by the Senate Dec. 18. Rosenberg will oversee some of the agency’s sanctions work (see 2106220037 and 2110050029). The Senate earlier this month confirmed Brian Nelson as undersecretary of Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed a bill that would impose sanctions against individuals and entities "who actively undermine civilian-led democracy and human rights in Sudan," according to co-sponsor Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif. The bipartisan bill, also co-sponsored by Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., was passed out of committee on Dec. 9. Sudan had a coup in October, and there was violence against civilians who protested the coup. Kim said in a press release, “The United States is a beacon of hope and opportunity and should support our allies in their pursuit of liberty and democracy. That is why I’m proud to lead the Sudan Democracy Act to help take concrete steps to show support for the brave people of Sudan as they peacefully protest for democracy and hold those responsible for undermining Sudan’s civilian-led democratic transition accountable." Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., supports similar language in that chamber.
The U.S. should lift all sanctions that may be preventing shipments of food, medicine and other humanitarian goods to Cuba, including restrictions on banks and personal remittances, more than 100 Democratic lawmakers wrote to President Joe Biden Dec. 14. Although the Treasury Department authorizes certain humanitarian aid to Cuba through its general licenses (see 2004160039 and 2108120025), the lawmakers said banks and humanitarian workers need more assurances.
The Senate on Dec. 16 passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which includes a sanctions provision targeting human rights abusers in China. The Senate approved the bill after it passed in the House earlier this week, when lawmakers reached a compromise on the legislation's language (see 2112140077). The bill is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden and become law.