News

The U.S. Department of Commerce approves nearly every request to sell semiconductors, aerospace components, artificial intelligence assets, and other sensitive technologies to Chinese companies, according to an analysis of trade data conducted by the Wall Street Journal.
 
In response, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is calling for new export control laws to protect America’s national and economic security.
 

• “It is outrageous that the Biden Administration continues to greenlight the vast majority of critical U.S. tech exports to China. Last fall, we learned that the Commerce Department’s sloppy procedures cleared hundreds of licenses, valued at more than $100 billion, to Huawei and SMIC suppliers. It was an indefensible lapse in judgment that hurt American interests.
• “This latest report makes clear that the situation is growing worse. President Biden refuses to take the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party seriously. Congress must reform U.S. export control laws to ensure that naive bureaucrats do not prioritize commercial sales over America’s national and economic security.”  – Senator Rubio 

 
During last month’s debate over the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, Rubio criticized the lack of safeguards in the bill, specifically calling attention to the flexibility granted to Commerce to broaden the definition of “legacy chips.” The Journal’s new analysis suggests Commerce will continue to expand the type of semiconductors U.S. companies are allowed to produce in China.
 
Looking forward … Rubio will work to expand the number of entities on U.S. trade blacklists and limit the power of big business-friendly officials at Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.