Newly confirmed Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo interviewed Chinese technology expert James Mulvenon to head the Bureau of Industry and Security, Reuters reported March 30. It’s unclear whether the interview will lead to a “vetting” for the undersecretary post, the report said, or how many others will be interviewed. A BIS spokesperson declined to comment.
A bipartisan group of former U.S. national security officials asked the Biden administration to support a bill that would establish a State Department office to coordinate export controls, standards setting and other critical technology issues with other democratic nations. The Democracy Technology Partnership Act, introduced in the Senate earlier this month, would help the U.S. better respond to Chinese efforts to dominate global technology sectors and lead in emerging technologies, the former officials said in a March 30 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will hold a virtual forum April 8 to present ways the agency can help boost the competitiveness and capacity of the U.S. semiconductor industry, BIS said in a notice released March 26. The agency earlier this month requested written comments on semiconductor supply chain issues (see 2103110047) but said the forum will give commenters a chance to provide “oral remarks.” Comments will help inform the Commerce Department’s report to the White House as part of a February executive order to address supply chain shortages of semiconductor chips (see 2102240068), BIS said. Officials from BIS and other agencies will participate in the 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT forum. Registration closes 5 p.m. April 1.
The Bureau of Industry and Security last week added a new section to its website to consolidate guidance and rulemaking documents related to human rights. The section includes links to recent Entity List additions related to human rights violations, and advisories for companies operating in China’s Xinjiang region (see 2007010040) and involved in exporting surveillance equipment (see 2009300056).
The Justice Department and Homeland Security Investigations can do more to track, analyze and disrupt illegal smuggling of guns into Mexico, the Government Accountability Office said in a March 24 report. The GAO said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives often receives incomplete data on thousands of U.S.-origin guns recovered in Mexican states, and said “additional data and analysis” by HSI “could enhance U.S. efforts to understand firearms sources and smuggling routes.” As a result, both agencies are “unable to assess” their progress toward stopping illegal gun exports and haven’t “fully developed performance measures” for those efforts.
President Joe Biden plans to continue to address Chinese human rights violations and unfair trade practices, and soon will host an “alliance of democracies” to discuss how to better hold China accountable, he told reporters March 25. Speaking during his first formal news conference as president, Biden didn’t say when the meeting with allies will take place but said he will push partners to make China “follow the rules.”
The Federal Maritime Commission told lawmakers that it is still investigating port issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2102020050 and 2102250039), including unfair detention and demurrage fees and reports that carriers are declining to carry U.S. agricultural exports. The FMC has “yet to make any final determinations” on those issues but will take action against any “practices that violate the law,” the commission said in a March 17 letter to House members released this week.
Intel will invest $20 billion to build two new semiconductor fabs in Arizona in a bid to become a “major provider of foundry capacity” in the U.S. and Europe, the company said March 23. It plans to use its expanded foundry capacity to “serve the incredible global demand for semiconductor manufacturing” and to partner with IBM to better research and develop next-generation packaging technologies.
The State Department certified that the largest exporting and importing countries of certain precursor chemicals are complying with international rules surrounding illegal trade in drugs and other substances, a notice released March 24 said. The agency said China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom have taken steps to achieve full compliance with the 1988 U.N. Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Two Canadian companies recently announced plans to acquire U.S. businesses and are awaiting approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., according to their Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The filings were previously reported by Squire Patton.