More Democratic Lawmakers Raise Concerns About BIS’s Approach to Allies
House Select Committee on China ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and 10 other committee Democrats urged the Commerce Department April 9 to reconsider its plans to pull back from traditional export control dialogues with allies, including the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
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In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the lawmakers said the TTC “has been an essential forum for facilitating” export control coordination with allies and partners to prevent the transfer of sensitive technology to China. The forum also has "executed swift responses to geopolitical crises, including implementing restrictive measures and export controls against Russia after its illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022," the lawmakers wrote.
“Dissolving the council would not only disrupt the critical work that has been done but also signal a retreat from U.S. commitment to collaborative leadership in setting global norms for critical and emerging technologies and promoting a rules-based economic order,” the letter says. “We strongly urge the Commerce Department to maintain and strengthen its commitment to the TTC and other mechanisms for transatlantic cooperation."
BIS didn't respond to a request for comment.
The lawmakers sent the letter in response to Jeffrey Kessler, the new head of the Bureau of Industry and Security, who said March 27 that he intends to eschew time-consuming formal talks with allies and instead tell them what kinds of restrictions he wants them to impose (see 2503280039). Days after his remarks, four other Democratic lawmakers issued statements saying Kessler's plans will reduce international collaboration and make it harder to keep sensitive technology out of the hands of China (see 2504010056).