A nonbinding resolution to pursue a free trade agreement with the U.K. passed the Senate through unanimous consent. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, hailed the passage in a May 26 news release. "The United States and the United Kingdom are the closest of allies and the most natural of economic partners. Since the British people have reclaimed the right to negotiate their own trade agreements, I have advocated for a robust trade agreement between our nations. I am overjoyed and encouraged to see the Senate pass this resolution calling for such a mutually beneficial agreement. Free trade between our nations would be good for Britons, for Americans, and particularly for Utahns who have such close economic ties to our friends across the pond," he said.

Paul Rosen, President Joe Biden's nominee to chair the Committee on Foreign Investment of the U.S., was confirmed by the Senate May 24. Rosen in April told lawmakers he will continue to prioritize U.S. reviews of China-related transactions and wants to better encourage companies to submit voluntary filings (see 2204060059). Rosen’s official title will be the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for investment security.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, criticized the Bureau of Industry and Security's decision to stop differentiating between emerging and foundational technologies for the purposes of export controls, saying the agency is trying to dodge its statutory responsibility. BIS said last week that the effort to categorize technologies as either emerging or foundational has sometimes delayed the controls, adding that it will instead refer to them as Section 1758 technologies (see 2205200017).

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., is leading a nine-person bipartisan delegation to Brussels, the U.K. and Ireland to discuss strengthening trans-Atlantic trade relations as well as "underscoring the significance of the Good Friday Agreement." The Boris Johnson administration in London has proposed legislation to end border checks on goods sent from the main island to Northern Ireland. This is problematic because there are no border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is an EU member.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman and top Republican on the committee sent a letter to the White House, arguing that Taiwan should be in the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, and asking for a briefing for both their committee and the Senate Finance Committee on whether it will be, what the U.S.'s economic engagement is with Taiwan, and whether the U.S. has economic goals that it is seeking with Taiwan. The May 18 letter, which also was signed by the Senate Finance Committee chairman and ranking member and 48 other senators, notes that there was $114 billion in two-way trade with Taiwan last year, and that Taiwan is a significant player in computers, telecommunications and electronics. "Excluding Taiwan from IPEF would significantly distort regional and global economic architecture, run counter to U.S. economic interests" and play into China's narrative about Taiwan, they said. China argues that Taiwan is not an independent country, and has punished countries that have given it diplomatic recognition.

Senators said that officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative failed to consult properly before a proposal to make changes to the TRIPS Agreement regarding coronavirus vaccines was released, and that the agency's approach needs to change. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and ranking member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, led the letter, which said: "Administrations of both parties have struggled to comply with the terms Congress has provided to ensure its views are reflected in our trade policy. Accordingly, we request that you take steps to ensure Congress is a full partner in the Administration’s ongoing trade negotiations, regardless of whether the Administration believes any eventual agreement from such negotiations will require formal Congressional approval. To that end, the Office of the United States Trade Representative... must provide Congress with timely, substantive briefings on negotiations and share all U.S. negotiating texts before the Administration commits the United States to a particular negotiating position or outcome."

The Senate last week passed a motion urging Senate conferees for the compromise China package to include an Iran-related sanctions provision in the final version. The nonbinding motion, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asks the conference managers to include a provision stating that terrorism-related sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are “necessary to limit” cooperation between China and Russia.

Legislation from Senate Foreign Affairs Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., would direct the administration to impose export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and asks that the government "develop a strategy to diplomatically engage the governments of the Netherlands, Japan, and other appropriate countries ... to formulate export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment" so that China couldn't purchase the equipment. The Economic Statecraft for the Twenty-First Century Act's text was published May 6. The bill also directs the administration to review the economic, diplomatic and security effects of implementing export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and how such a policy would affect China's semiconductor industry.

The Congressional Research Service issued a report May 2 on food security and trade issues caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The report said Congress should consider working with the Biden administration to “reduce supply limitations and global trade barriers for food and agricultural commodities.” CRS said a rise in global food export restrictions has caused food prices to spike even higher than levels reached due to the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier export bans on certain food commodities.

A bill that would require the State Department to report to Congress on whether China is helping Russians "evade or circumvent United States sanctions or multilateral sanctions and export controls," or whether China is inhibiting onsite export control end-use checks within its borders, passed the House of Representatives on a 394-3 vote on April 27. The Assessing Xi’s Interference and Subversion Act was sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. , who said after its passage, "We need a full report on the extent of the collaboration between Russia and China to inform the public and enable lawmakers to begin positioning the U.S. to overcome this geopolitical challenge.” If the bill becomes law, the first report would be due in 30 days, and then reports would be due every 90 days after that.