In more than four hours of questioning during a hearing March 24 before the House Ways and Means Committee, no member of Congress advocated for lessening tariffs on Chinese goods under Section 301, or for reopening exclusions applications.
The House this week passed a bill that would direct the State Department to report to Congress on export-related issues under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership (see 2303130035). The bill, which passed 393-4, also would require the agency to provide information on the average processing times for defense-related export license applications involving Australia and the U.K., information on voluntary disclosures of ITAR violations, ITAR penalties involving the two countries, and an “assessment of recommended improvements to export control laws.” The legislation is viewed as the first step toward potential revision of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the U.S. defense export regulations that industry experts and others say prevent technology sharing and collaboration with close allies (see 2302170022, 2303170045 and 2303140018).
The Biden administration should “immediately” send “cluster munitions,” including “dual purpose improved conventional munitions,” to Ukraine’s military as it fights against Russia, Republicans said in a March 21 letter to the White House. The lawmakers said they “remain deeply disappointed in your administration’s reluctance to provide Ukraine with the right type and amount of long-range fires and maneuver capability to create and exploit operational breakthroughs against the Russians,” adding that the consequences are “playing out on the battlefield.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., recently introduced a bill that would prevent the president and State Department from removing sanctions against Cuba until it certifies the country is respecting human rights and meeting other requirements. The Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends Act, announced by Rubio in a news release last week along with two other Cuba-related bills, would require the U.S. to keep Cuba on its list of state sponsors of terrorism unless it certifies that Cuba has established an independent judiciary, respects free speech, has released political prisoners and has met other requirements under the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996.
Two senators introduced a bill last week that could lead to the creation of a civil nuclear export strategy. The International Nuclear Energy Act, reintroduced by Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Joe Manchin, D-W.V., would call on the White House to establish an office to coordinate a nuclear exports strategy with trading partners, promote regulatory harmonization and development of a standardized licensing framework, create a nuclear exports working group and more.
The U.S. needs to impose more sanctions and export controls to prevent nuclear collaboration between Russia’s Rosatom and China, which is helping to support Russia’s war in Ukraine and allowing China to acquire enough weapons grade plutonium to “fuel its strategic nuclear breakout,” Republican House leaders said this week. Although the lawmakers said they were “heartened” to see the new set of sanctions against Russia last month (see 2302240028), which included designations targeting three Rosatom subsidiaries, they called for more.
The U.S. should do more to address China’s growing trade influence in Ecuador and throughout Latin America, Rep. Jason Smith, the chair of the House Way and Means Committee, said during a March 15 visit to Ecuador. Smith, R-Mo., told Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso and members of his Cabinet that he is concerned about the country’s “expanding trade ties” with China.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., complained this week that Brazil is not in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, and that APEP, once its negotiations are completed, is unlikely to increase U.S. agricultural exports to member countries. Young, speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the future of U.S.-Brazil relations, said farmers in his state rely on market access-opening trade deals, and said the U.S. should try to convince Brazil to lower its tariff barriers on corn, soybeans and ethanol.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. should “be prepared to carefully review” any investments related to the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a March 15 letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Rubio said he’s concerned China and its companies may be looking to “exploit this moment for their own” benefit after both banks collapsed this week.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., along with two other Democrats and Kansas' two Republican senators, reintroduced a bill to lift the Cuba trade embargo. The bill also would allow unrestricted shipping between U.S. and Cuban ports and allow transactions between the two countries' businesses.