Wyden, Schumer, Warren, and Cortez Masto Press Trump to Restore Export Controls After Trading Sensitive U.S. Technology to China in Trade Talks
Blacklisted Chinese companies can now exploit a loophole to obtain key U.S. technologies, threatening national security
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., pressed Donald Trump on his decision to trade away U.S. national security in search of quick handshake deals to mitigate his disastrous trade agenda by suspending critical export controls that helped prevent Chinese companies from accessing American-made advanced technology.
“Trump’s selling off our tech advantage to China because he desperately needed a bargaining chip to end his foolish trade war,” Wyden said. “Our national security shouldn’t be up for sale, and we must keep these protections in place so our rivals can’t blunt our competitive edge. My letter urges Trump officials to reverse course on this reckless decision.”
The letter was also signed by Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.
Trump struck a deal that suspended the ability of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to enforce export controls on key technologies, including American-made advanced AI chips.
This concession undermines the authority of BIS to protect not only American technological leadership but also U.S. national security. Trump’s quick handshake deal opened a blindspot in U.S. export control policy that would allow blacklisted foreign companies to purchase American-made advanced technology. American companies that are making good-faith efforts to comply with export rules cannot efficiently do business abroad as a result of an increasingly unstable regulatory environment.
The text of the letter is here.
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